Health A to Z Last updated on 2021-04-06 14:18:00

Follow This Vaccination Schedule For Your Child

Ms. Smitakshi Guha
2 Min Read
Fact Checked

Prevention is better than cure”. This proverb holds good for vaccinations also. Infants are born with passive immunity which doesn't last very long. The only source of immunity for babies in those initial days is the mother's milk.

What is immunization?

Immunization is a procedure where a disease-causing organism is weakened and injected into the baby to develop antibodies against it. If the disease attacks your baby in the future, the body already recognizes the organism and fights it, causing no harm to your baby. This process prevents deadly diseases from weakening your child and trains the body to bravely fight diseases.

What diseases can you prevent through vaccinations?

Of course, there is a cure for all these diseases, but isn't it better to just avoid them? With the help of proper vaccination, your baby can be immunized against many serious and highly contagious disease like:

Diphtheria
flu
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
hepatitis b
measles
meningitis B
meningitis C
mumps
pneumococcus
polio
rotavirus
rubella
tetanus
whooping cough

Every pediatrician gives you a vaccination chart that clearly indicates the schedule and name of the vaccine given to your child during the first two years

The vaccines mentioned in the chart are generally mandatory. However, there are a few non-mandatory vaccines for diseases like:

pneumococcus
chickenpox
meningococcal
meningitis
influenza

Your pediatrician can guide you about the optional vaccines depending on the health of your child.

Vaccination records

It's important that you maintain up-to-date records of your baby's vaccination. You will need your child’s immunization records to register them at school, athletic teams, and summer camps or to travel abroad. Whenever your child is given a vaccination always ask the doctor to record it in the vaccination card or chart given to you. Now with advanced technology, maintaining medical records has become much easier.