Any and every parent would want to protect their child and keep them safe and sound. Vaccines are an important way to do this. For newborns, breast milk can help protect against many diseases. The milk contains antibodies passed from the mother to the baby. However, this immunity disappears within a year, and many children are not breastfed from the beginning. In both cases, vaccines can help protect newborns and children from diseases. The major benefit of vaccines is that these vaccines help prevent the spread of the disease to older children and adults. You can know about them by reading a child immunization chart.

Child immunization chart

Vaccines mimic the infection of a certain disease in your body, which stimulates your immune system to develop weapons called antibodies. The antibodies fight the disease that the vaccine aims to prevent. With them in place, your body can overcome any future infection with the disease. Child immunization chart is given below:

At Birth

• HepB: Hepatitis B vaccine; ideally, the first dose is given at birth, but children who have not been immunized before can receive it at any age.

At 1-2 months

• HepB: The second dose should be given 1 to 2 months after the first dose.

At 2-4 months

• DTaP: To protect from diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
• Hib: Haemophilus influenzae vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio and Hib disease.
• IPV: Inactivated poliovirus vaccine to protect against polio:
• PCV: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine protects against infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, including meningitis (a brain infection), pneumonia and ear infections.
• RV: this vaccine protects children against rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children.

At 4 months

• DTaP
• Hib
• IPV
• PCV
• RV

At 6 months

• DTaP
• Hib: This third dose may be needed, the dose should be of the same brand used before.
• PCV
• RV: This third dose may be needed, the dose should be of the same brand used before.

6 months and annually

• Influenza (flu): This flu vaccine is recommended every year for children aged 6 months or more
• Children under the age of 9 who receive the flu vaccine for the first time (or who have received only one dose before July 2017) will receive it in two separate doses, at least one month apart.
• Those less than 9 years old that have had at least two doses of the flu vaccine earlier (in the same or in different seasons) will need only one dose.
• Children over the age of 9 need only one dose.
• The vaccine is given by injection via a needle (the flu shot). The nasal spray form that was available in the past is not currently recommended because in recent years it has not been sufficiently effective.

6-18 months

• HepB
• IPV

12-15 months

• Hib
• MMR: for curing measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (German measles)
• PCV
• Varicella: To protect from chickenpox.

12-23 months

• HepA: Hepatitis A vaccine; given as two shots with a 6 month gap

15-18 months

• DTaP

4-6 years

• DTaP
• MMR
• IPV
• Varicella

11-12 years

• HPV: Vaccine against human papillomavirus, administered in two injections for a period of 6 to 12 months. It can be given at age 9. For adolescents and young adults between fifteen and twenty-six years of age, it is administered in three injections for 6 months. It is highly recommended for girls and boys to prevent genital warts and some types of cancer.
• Tdap: Reinforcement against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. It is also recommended during each pregnancy that a woman has.
• Meningococcal conjugate vaccine: A booster dose of 16 years is recommended.

16-18 years

• Meningococcal B vaccine (MenB): MenB vaccine can be given to children and adolescents in two or three doses, depending on the brand. Unlike the recommended meningococcal vaccine, the MenB vaccine is given at the discretion of the doctor.

Special circumstances

HepA is also recommended for children aged 2 years and above and adults who are at high risk of developing the disease. This includes people living, traveling or taking children from places with high rates of hepatitis A; people with coagulation disorders; and people with the chronic liver disease. HepA vaccine can also be given to anyone wishing to immunity to the disease and is useful for nursery staff or schools where they may be exposed to the risk of exposure.

Influenza vaccine is particularly important for children who are at risk for health problems due to influenza. High-risk groups include children under 5 and people with chronic conditions such as asthma, heart problems, sickle cell anemia, diabetes or HIV.

Pneumococcal vaccines can also be given to older children (2 years of age), with conditions affecting the immune system, such as asplenia or HIV infection, or other conditions, such as a cochlear implant, chronic heart disease or chronic lung diseases.

Parents should use the child immunization chart. They worry their child might contract the disease instead. But because the components of the vaccines are weakened or dead, and in some cases, only parts of the microorganism are used, they are unlikely to cause serious illness. Some of the vaccines may cause mild reactions, such as pain with an injection or fever, but severe reactions are rare. Their risks are small compared to the health risks associated with the diseases they intend to prevent. Read a child immunization chart for your child’s proper health.

Vaccines which are given according to the child immunization chart are one of the best means of protection against contagious diseases. A child immunization chart is the best informational chart for you to use for your kid’s health.