Every vaccine from birth to 16 years — why each is given at its specific age, what happens if doses are missed, the catch-up schedule, government schemes, and common myths debunked.
India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) is one of the largest and most ambitious public health programmes in the world. It reaches over 26 million newborns and 29 million pregnant women annually, across more than 1.2 million immunisation sessions in government facilities, anganwadis, and health subcentres throughout the country — completely free of charge.
Since its launch in 1985, the UIP has dramatically reduced the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in India. Polio has been eradicated. Neonatal tetanus is near elimination. Measles deaths have fallen by over 80%. Yet significant challenges remain: missed doses, delayed vaccination, cold chain failures, and vaccine hesitancy — driven by myths and misinformation — continue to leave millions of children unprotected.
This guide explains every vaccine in the UIP schedule, why the timing matters, what to do if doses are missed, and what every parent and frontline health worker needs to know.
The UIP currently protects against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases:
BCG protects against severe childhood TB — meningeal TB and miliary TB, which carry high mortality in infants.
India was declared polio-free in 2014. Continued vaccination maintains this achievement — any lapse risks reimportation.
Three life-threatening bacterial infections combined in one shot. Whooping cough (pertussis) still kills infants who miss vaccination.
India has ~40 million chronic HBV carriers. Birth-dose vaccination prevents mother-to-child transmission — the primary route in India.
Measles kills and blinds; rubella in pregnancy causes Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Two MR doses provide lifelong immunity.
Given in endemic districts. JE causes fatal brain inflammation — no specific treatment exists; vaccination is the only protection.
Leading cause of severe childhood diarrhoea in India. Vaccination reduces hospitalisations from watery diarrhoea by over 50%.
Protects against pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae — major killer in children under 5.
Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine introduced in 2022 — single dose from 9 months. Typhoid is endemic throughout India.
Booster doses at school age maintain protection as childhood immunity wanes.
Timing of vaccines is precise — not arbitrary. Each vaccine is given at a specific age because the immune system must be sufficiently mature to respond, and the window of disease risk must be matched. Early is good; but the minimum age must be respected for full protection.
📅 Use the RxMedCalc UIP Vaccine Tracker — enter your child's date of birth to generate a personalised immunisation schedule with due dates, overdue alerts, and the complete IAP 2024 catch-up schedule.
| Age | Vaccine | Route | Site | Dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | BCG | Intradermal | Left upper arm | 0.05 mL (<1 yr) / 0.1 mL (≥1 yr) |
| Birth | OPV-0 | Oral | Mouth | 2 drops |
| Birth | Hepatitis B-0 | IM | Anterolateral thigh | 0.5 mL (within 24h of birth) |
| 6 weeks | OPV-1, DPT-1, HepB-1, RVV-1, fIPV-1, PCV-1 | IM/Oral | Both thighs + mouth | Per vaccine |
| 10 weeks | OPV-2, DPT-2, HepB-2, RVV-2, fIPV-2, PCV-2 | IM/Oral | Both thighs + mouth | Per vaccine |
| 14 weeks | OPV-3, DPT-3, HepB-3, RVV-3, PCV-3 | IM/Oral | Both thighs + mouth | Per vaccine |
| 9 months | MR-1, JE-1*, TCV, Vit A (1st) | SC/IM/Oral | Right upper arm (MR), Left thigh (JE) | 0.5 mL each; Vit A 1 lakh IU |
| 16–24 months | DPT B1, OPV B1, MR-2, JE-2*, PCV booster, Vit A (2nd) | IM/Oral/SC | Upper arm / thigh | Per vaccine; Vit A 2 lakh IU |
| 5–6 years | DPT B2, OPV B2 | IM/Oral | Upper arm | 0.5 mL DPT; 2 drops OPV |
| 10 years | Td | IM | Upper arm (deltoid) | 0.5 mL |
| 16 years | Td | IM | Upper arm (deltoid) | 0.5 mL |
*JE given in endemic districts only. SC = subcutaneous. IM = intramuscular. B1/B2 = booster dose 1/2.
BCG protects against the most severe forms of tuberculosis — tuberculous meningitis and disseminated (miliary) TB — which predominantly affect infants under 2 years. These conditions are rapidly fatal. The neonatal immune system responds well to BCG; delay means a window of vulnerability. BCG must be given before any significant TB exposure — ideally within 24 hours of birth.
Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is the dominant route of HBV in India. An HBV-infected mother can transmit the virus to her baby during delivery. The birth dose must be given within 24 hours (ideally within 12 hours) to prevent MTCT — the window during which post-exposure prophylaxis is effective. A dose given at 6 weeks is too late to prevent this.
The 6-10-14 week schedule for DPT, OPV, fIPV, RVV, and PCV is designed to provide protection during the period of maximum vulnerability — when maternal antibodies from the mother are waning but the infant's own immune response is developing. Delays beyond 14 weeks mean infants are unprotected during the highest-risk window for pertussis (whooping cough), which can be fatal in unvaccinated infants under 3 months.
Maternal measles antibodies cross the placenta and persist in the infant for 6–9 months. If MR vaccine is given before 9 months, maternal antibodies neutralise the vaccine virus before the infant can mount an immune response — the vaccine fails. At 9 months, maternal antibodies have sufficiently waned for a successful immune response.
Rotavirus vaccine (RVV) has a strict age limit: the first dose must not be given after 15 weeks of age. This is because the vaccine has a very rare but real association with intussusception (bowel telescoping) when given at older ages. The safety data only supports administration from 6 to 15 weeks for the first dose.
⚠️ Rotavirus vaccine — first dose must be given before 15 weeks. This is an absolute IAP restriction. If a child has missed the 6-week dose and is now over 15 weeks, the rotavirus series cannot be started.
A missed dose does not mean starting the series over. The immune system retains immunological memory — longer gaps do not reduce the effectiveness of the series. Simply continue from where the schedule was interrupted, respecting the minimum interval between doses.
| Vaccine | Catch-Up Age Limit | Minimum Interval | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCG | Up to 1 year | Single dose | Not recommended for routine catch-up after 1 year. Scar absence ≠ vaccine failure. |
| OPV-0 (birth dose) | Up to 1 month | — | Can be given as catch-up up to 1 month of age only. |
| HepB-0 (birth dose) | Up to 7 days | — | Birth dose has narrow window. If missed, start 3-dose series from 6 weeks. |
| DPT | Up to 7 years | 4 weeks between doses | After 7 years: use Tdap (not DPT — lower pertussis antigen for older children). |
| OPV | Up to 5 years | 4 weeks between doses | OPV pulse doses given during National Immunisation Days count toward schedule. |
| Rotavirus (RVV) | First dose: before 15 weeks only | 4 weeks between doses | Last dose by 32 weeks. Cannot initiate after 15 weeks due to intussusception risk. |
| PCV | Up to 5 years | 4 weeks between doses (primary) | Reduced schedule for older children starting late — see IAP catch-up tables. |
| fIPV | No upper age limit | 4 weeks between doses | Two doses minimum in primary series. Given IM not orally. |
| MR | No upper age limit | 4 weeks between doses (if 2nd dose needed) | Single dose gives ~93% protection; 2nd dose closes immunity gaps. |
| TCV (Typhoid) | From 9 months — no upper age limit | Single dose | Single dose TCV replaces older Vi-polysaccharide typhoid vaccines. |
All UIP vaccines are available completely free of charge at:
The Mother and Child Protection (MCP) card — issued to every mother at registration — records all vaccination dates and is the most important document for tracking a child's immunisation status. Keep it safe and carry it to every health visit.
✅ Missing the VHND session? Vaccines can also be obtained at the nearest PHC or district hospital on any working day. You do not have to wait for the next monthly session. Vaccination is available year-round.
In addition to the routine UIP schedule, India conducts Pulse Polio immunisation rounds — National Immunisation Days (NIDs) and Sub-National Immunisation Days (SNIDs) — typically in January and March each year. All children under 5 years receive OPV drops during these rounds, regardless of their routine vaccination status. Pulse Polio doses supplement but do not replace routine OPV doses.
Several vaccines recommended by the IAP Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices (ACVIP) are not yet part of the government UIP but are available in private hospitals and paediatric clinics:
| Vaccine | Protects Against | When Given | IAP Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varicella | Chickenpox | 15 months (1st), 4–6 years (2nd) | Strongly recommended (Category A) |
| Hepatitis A | Hepatitis A virus | 12 months, 6 months later (2 doses) | Strongly recommended |
| MMR (instead of MR) | Measles, Mumps, Rubella | 9 months, 15 months | Preferred over MR in private sector |
| Meningococcal | Meningococcal meningitis | 9 months onwards | Recommended for high-risk and travel |
| Influenza | Seasonal flu | 6 months onwards, annually | Recommended — especially for children with comorbidities |
| HPV | Cervical cancer (HPV 16/18) | Girls 9–14 years (2 doses if <15) | Strongly recommended — now in national programme in some states |
This article is for educational purposes based on IAP 2024 and MoHFW UIP guidelines. Vaccination schedules and catch-up decisions should be confirmed with a qualified paediatrician or medical officer. Guidelines are updated periodically — always verify with the latest IAP recommendations.
Built by an MBBS, AFIH Certified Physician in Punjab, India | RxMedCalc.com