As a parent, one of the most important things you can do for your child is to have them vaccinated against deadly diseases. Doing this on time will help protect your child against several severe conditions. To know how to get the doses administered on time and what to expect along the way, read on and educate yourself on vaccination for babies.
What Vaccinations Should My Child Get?
Ideally, there will be an immunization card given at the time one takes their baby home after birth. Here’s a basic vaccination chart you could refer till then:
| Vaccination time | Vaccines |
| At Birth | B0, HeP, OPV0, BCG, |
| 6 Weeks | PCV1, rotavirus1, DTP1, OPV1, Hib 1, HeP B1, |
| 10 Weeks | PCV2, rotavirus2, Hep B2, OPV2, Hib2, DTP2, |
| 14 Weeks | PCV3, rotavirus3, OPV3, Hib3, HepB3, DTP3, |
| 9 Months | Vit A, Measles, |
| 15 Months | Varicella, PCV B1, MMR, |
| 16-24 months | OPV B1, DTP B1, |
| 2 Years | Typhoid |
| 5 years | Typhoid, Varicella, DTP B2, |
| 10 Years | Tetanus toxoid (TT) |
Abbreviation’s used:
TT: tetanus toxoid
PCV: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
B2: second booster dose
B1: first booster dose
HEP B: hepatitis B,
IPV: intravenous polio vaccine
OPV: oral polio vaccine
Visit your hospital for an updated vaccination chart with price.
Will my baby get any side-effects from the vaccines?
Like other medicines, vaccination for babies can cause some mild side-effects. It will be helpful to know what to expect, in case your baby does experience side-effects.
After your baby has been administered the HiB, PCV, IPV, or the DTP vaccine, some side-effects may be noticeable. In a span of 24 hours of being administered the vaccine, the following side-effects may be seen:
- Tiredness or irritability
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Pain, redness, or swelling at the site of infection
- Mild fever
The MMR vaccine can at times cause some mild side-effects 6-10 days after the injection. Symptoms may be seen in the form of:
- Feeling a bit off-color
- going off their food
- measles-like rash
- mild fever
Babies who have been administered the rotavirus vaccine may become restless and irritable and could also develop mild diarrhea. In very rare cases, abdominal pain may be experienced with the passage of abnormal-looking poo.
Keep a close eye on your child to check for high temperatures. Young children with a high temperature can develop seizures or fits, although this is rare. Your child could be more at risk of having a convulsion if he’s had one before, or even if there’s a family history of seizures. Call your doctor immediately on experiencing high fever or a fit.
When it comes to vaccines, there is also an extremely rare possibility that your child may have a severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis. Although the probability of it happening is less, if it does happen, it will be within minutes of being administered vaccines. Just trust the doctor and the team on site, to take care of the situation.
Vaccination for babies is the best way to protect your little ones against future complications. Get your vaccination chart (with price) today and remember the tips and guidelines provided above to deal with any kind of side effects.