IAP Vaccination Schedule 2026: Complete Guide
The IAP immunization schedule is the routine vaccination timetable recommended by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics for children from birth through 16–18 years. It builds on the government's free Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and adds vaccines like pneumococcal, rotavirus, and hepatitis A that the IAP's vaccine advisory committee (ACVIP) also recommends.
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) publishes a routine immunization schedule that most Indian pediatricians follow, covering birth through the teen years. Here's what's actually in it, visit by visit, and how a clinic keeps track without relying on a parent's memory of a paper card.
Who sets the IAP schedule, and how is it different from the government schedule?
The schedule is maintained by the IAP's Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices (ACVIP), which reviews and updates it periodically. It sits alongside — not in place of — the Government of India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), which is what's offered free at government health centers.
The two overlap heavily on core vaccines like BCG, hepatitis B, DTP, and polio. Where they differ is that the IAP schedule also recommends vaccines the UIP doesn't currently cover everywhere, such as pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), rotavirus vaccine, and hepatitis A — these are typically paid, private-market vaccines rather than free ones. A parent may hear both terms used in the same clinic visit, which is understandably confusing; the short version is that the IAP schedule is the broader, pediatrician-recommended list, and the UIP is the free subset of it available at government centers.
The IAP schedule, stage by stage
The exact brand, spacing, and whether a dose is free (UIP) or paid (IAP-only) can vary by clinic and by the vaccines in stock, so treat the ages below as the general shape of the schedule rather than a substitute for what your own pediatrician recommends at each visit.
At birth
Ideally within 24 hours of birth: BCG, the first dose of hepatitis B, and the birth dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV 0).
6, 10, and 14 weeks
Three primary doses of DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), IPV (injectable polio), Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b, usually combined into a pentavalent shot with DTP and hepatitis B), and PCV. Rotavirus vaccine is also given in this window, on a schedule that has an upper age cutoff, so it needs to start on time.
IPV vaccine schedule: what it is and when it's given
IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) is the injectable form of the polio vaccine, given as a shot rather than oral drops. It's given alongside — not instead of — OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine), because India's polio strategy relies on both: OPV for broad community immunity, and IPV because it produces a stronger, more reliable immune response in the individual child and doesn't carry OPV's very small risk of vaccine-derived polio.
IPV dosing on the IAP schedule
Under the IAP/private-clinic schedule, IPV is typically given as full intramuscular doses at 6, 10, and 14 weeks (the same primary-series window as DTP and Hib), usually bundled into a pentavalent or hexavalent combination shot rather than as a separate injection. A booster dose follows at 15–18 months, alongside the DTP booster.
IPV under the government (UIP) schedule
The government's free Universal Immunization Programme uses a fractional IPV (fIPV) — a smaller, intradermal dose — given at 6 and 14 weeks alongside OPV doses, rather than the full-dose intramuscular schedule used in the private/IAP combination vaccines. Both approaches are valid; a private clinic following the IAP schedule and a government center following the UIP schedule are using different formulations of the same vaccine, not different vaccines.
Because IPV is almost always bundled into a combination vaccine (pentavalent or hexavalent) in private pediatric clinics, parents often don't realize their child has already received it — it doesn't usually show up as a separate line item unless the clinic's record breaks the combination shot down by component.
6 to 9 months
A dose of oral polio vaccine and completion of the primary hepatitis B series are typically covered here, along with the first measles-containing vaccine — MR (measles-rubella) under the government schedule, or MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) if following the IAP's private-market recommendation — usually around 9 months.
12 to 18 months
This window covers a PCV booster, a second dose of the measles-containing vaccine (MMR around 15 months on the IAP schedule, or MR around 16–24 months under the government schedule), the first hepatitis A dose, and the first booster doses of DTP and IPV, typically clustered between 15 and 18 months.
2 to 6 years
A second hepatitis A dose is usually given around 18 months to 2 years apart from the first, and a second DTP/OPV booster is due around 4–6 years, timed for school entry in many clinics.
10 to 12 years and the teen years
A Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis) booster is recommended around 10–12 years. HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination is recommended for adolescents, with the IAP noting that starting earlier — in the early-to-mid teens — allows a shorter dosing course than starting later; the exact number and spacing of doses depends on the age at which the series starts, so this is one to confirm directly with your pediatrician or the current ACVIP recommendation.
Beyond this core list, the IAP schedule also lists optional or situational vaccines — typhoid conjugate vaccine, varicella (chickenpox), annual influenza, and meningococcal vaccine among them — that a pediatrician may recommend based on the child's age, local disease patterns, or family circumstances.
Tracking every dose against every child's age, by hand, doesn't scale past a handful of patients.
Book a walkthroughWhy "due" and "overdue" tracking matters more than the schedule itself
Parents rarely lose the schedule — they lose track of where their specific child stands against it. A paper immunization card gets left at home, damaged, or simply forgotten between visits at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14 weeks, all inside the same few months. On the clinic side, a front desk juggling a full day of patients doesn't have time to manually check every child's age against a wall chart before flagging a missed dose.
This is the specific gap that PediaNex's vaccination tracking feature is built to close: it follows the full IAP immunization schedule per patient, automatically marking each milestone as due or overdue based on the child's age, and logging the brand and date of every dose actually given — so the answer to "is this child up to date?" doesn't depend on anyone's memory.
Frequently asked questions
What is the IAP vaccination schedule?
It's the routine immunization timetable recommended by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics' vaccine advisory committee (ACVIP), covering children from birth through 16–18 years.
Is the IAP schedule the same as the government's Universal Immunization Programme?
No. They share the same core vaccines, but the IAP schedule also recommends additional vaccines — such as pneumococcal, rotavirus, and hepatitis A — that aren't part of the free government programme everywhere.
What vaccines are given at birth per the IAP schedule?
BCG, the birth dose of hepatitis B, and OPV 0, ideally all within 24 hours of birth.
What is the IPV vaccine schedule?
IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) is given at 6, 10, and 14 weeks as part of the primary series, usually bundled into a pentavalent or hexavalent combination shot, followed by a booster at 15–18 months. The government's free programme uses a fractional IPV dose at 6 and 14 weeks alongside OPV, while private clinics following the IAP schedule typically use full-dose IPV in a combination vaccine.
Does the IAP schedule cover teenagers?
Yes. It extends through 16–18 years, including a Tdap booster around 10–12 years and HPV vaccination during adolescence.
What happens if a dose is missed or delayed?
Most vaccines on the schedule can be caught up later, but a few — rotavirus in particular — have an upper age limit for starting. Talk to your pediatrician about a catch-up plan rather than skipping a delayed dose.
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