PaediatricsImmunisationhigh-yield
National Immunisation Schedule of India
India's National Immunisation Schedule by age, with live-versus-killed grouping and cold-chain temperatures.
6 min read · updated 2026-08-24
The schedule by age
| Age | Vaccines |
|---|---|
| Birth | BCG, OPV-0, Hepatitis B (birth dose) |
| 6 weeks | OPV-1, Pentavalent-1 (DPT+HepB+Hib), Rotavirus-1, fIPV-1, PCV-1 |
| 10 weeks | OPV-2, Pentavalent-2, Rotavirus-2, PCV-2 |
| 14 weeks | OPV-3, Pentavalent-3, Rotavirus-3, fIPV-2, PCV-3 (booster) |
| 9–12 months | Measles-Rubella (MR)-1, JE-1 (endemic areas), PCV-booster, Vitamin A (1st dose) |
| 16–24 months | MR-2, JE-2, DPT-booster-1, OPV-booster |
| 5–6 years | DPT-booster-2 |
| 10 years | Td |
| 16 years | Td |
| Pregnancy | Td-1, Td-2 (or Td-booster if within 3 y of last dose) |
BCG can be given up to 1 year if missed. Hepatitis B birth dose is ideally within 24 hours. Note the switch from TT to Td (tetanus with reduced-dose diphtheria) in the current schedule.
Live versus killed — group it once
| Live attenuated | Killed / inactivated / subunit / toxoid |
|---|---|
| BCG, OPV, Measles/MR, Rotavirus, JE (live), Varicella, MMR, Yellow fever | IPV, Hepatitis B, Pentavalent (Hib, HepB conjugate), PCV, DPT/Td (toxoid + killed), Rabies, Typhoid (Vi), Cholera, Influenza |
Trap: DPT looks "one thing" but is a mix — diphtheria and tetanus are toxoids, pertussis is a killed whole cell. OPV is live, IPV is killed. Live vaccines are avoided in pregnancy and immunodeficiency.
Cold chain — temperatures to hold
| Level | Storage |
|---|---|
| Walk-in cooler / regional store | +2°C to +8°C |
| Deep freezer (ILR facility) | −18°C to −25°C — stores OPV, Measles/MR |
| Ice-lined refrigerator (ILR) | +2°C to +8°C — stores DPT, Td, HepB, diluent, PCV |
| Vaccine carrier (field) | +2°C to +8°C with 4 icepacks |
- Most heat-sensitive → in the freezer: OPV (most sensitive of all), then Measles/MR.
- Must NEVER be frozen: DPT, Td, Hepatitis B, IPV, PCV — freezing destroys these adsorbed/toxoid vaccines. The shake test detects a frozen DPT/Td vial.
Anchor: freeze the live OPV and measles; keep the toxoids (DPT/Td, HepB) at +2 to +8°C and never let them freeze — that single rule answers most cold-chain questions.
Sources
- Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27e
- Ghai Essential Pediatrics, 9e