Why is Vaccination Important? What Vaccines Do Kids Require?

From birth till 12 years, children are prone to several bacteria, viruses and diseases. Since kids are too young during this time, the immune system of their body may not be naturally strong enough to protect against such communicable diseases. If your child contracts an infection or disease, the consequences could be serious.

Diseases like HPV, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria still exist. These may easily get transmitted from one child to another. However, many such diseases are vaccine preventable.

Vaccinations can make sure that one is immune to specific communicable diseases. Thus, they can be prevented from contracting such diseases or suffering from their effects. So, if the vaccinated kid comes into contact with an infected person, the child will not experience any complications or serious effects. Therefore, corona vaccination is important for kids.

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How Do Vaccines Work?

A vaccine is created with inactive parts of an antigen. When the vaccine is injected into one’s body, the antigen triggers an immune response. This resembles the initial reaction to the original pathogen. Thus, the body develops the pathogen’s memory and trains itself to fight against the organism on being exposed to it in the future.

Vaccination Schedule for Kids in India

Since different diseases can affect a kid at various ages, he/she must receive all the following vaccines at different ages for protection against a range of vaccine-preventable diseases. Here is the vaccination schedule for that:

  • At birth: Hep-B1, BCG, OPV
  • 6 weeks: Rota-1, DTP-1, PCV-1, IPV-1, Hib-1, Hep-B2
  • 10 weeks: Rota-2, DTP-2, PCV-2, IPV-2, Hib-2, Hep-B3
  • 14 weeks: Rota-3, DTP-3, PCV-3, IPV-3, Hib-3, Hep-B4
  • 6 months: Influenza 1
  • 7 months: Influenza 2
  • 6-9 months: TCV
  • 9 months: MMR-1
  • 12 months: Hep-A1
  • 12–15 months: PCV Booster
  • 15 months: Varicella vaccine, MMR-2
  • 16–18 months: DTP, IPV-B1, Hib-B1
  • 18–19 months: Varicella vaccine 2, Hep-A2
  • 4–6 years: MMR-3, DTP, IPV-B2
  • 9–15 years (for girls): HPV (2 doses)
  • 10–12 years: Td/Tdap
  • 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th years: Influenza Vaccine

Compulsory Vaccines for Children

The vaccines mentioned in the covid vaccination for kids above are listed below with respect to the viruses, bacteria and disorders they can fight.

  • BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine): Tuberculosis
  • Hep A: Hepatitis A
  • Hep B: Hepatitis B
  • OPV (Oral Poliovirus Vaccine): Poliomyelitis
  • IPV (Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine): Poliomyelitis
  • Hib: Haemophilus influenzae type B (causes bacterial meningitis)
  • PCV (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine): Pneumonia
  • DTP: Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTwP immunises against whole-cell pertussis and DTaP against acellular pertussis.)
  • Rota: Rotavirus (causes diarrhoea)
  • TCV (typhoid conjugate vaccine): Typhoid fever
  • MMR: Measles, mumps and rubella
  • Varicella vaccine (chickenpox vaccine): Chickenpox
  • HPV: Infections and cancers of vulva, cervix and vagina caused by human papillomavirus.
  • Td: Tetanus and diphtheria
  • Tdap: Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis
  • Annual influenza vaccine: Influenza (flu)

Besides these vaccines, your kid must also be immunized to fight COVID-19. Be on the lookout for the vaccination schedule for the same. Remember that with timely vaccinations, there is a 90% chance of protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. So, make sure that your child receives all the doses of all the compulsory vaccines on time.  Also, read – What is Difference between PCOD vs PCOS?

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