We've been following the government schedule. Is it too late to add the IAP vaccines?
Usually not. Most of the extra vaccines can be started later with a catch-up plan. Your pediatrician can tell you what's still useful at your child's age.
IAP or government (UIP) vaccine schedule: which should my baby follow?
Reviewed by Dr Abhas Gupta, MBBS, MD, DNB (Paediatrics), PDCC (Paediatric Rheumatology) • About Dr Abhas Gupta (Bio) • Last reviewed: 29 September 2026
In India, there are two vaccine schedules. The government schedule (the Universal Immunization Programme, or UIP) is what you get free at a government hospital, PHC or anganwadi. The IAP schedule, from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, is what most private pediatricians follow.
Parents often ask which one is "right". Both are safe. Both protect against the most dangerous childhood diseases. The IAP schedule simply protects against more diseases, and uses some vaccines that aren't in the free programme.
The short answer
- The government (UIP) schedule is free and covers the diseases that cause the most deaths and disability in Indian children. If this is what you can manage, your child is well protected against the most serious diseases.
- The IAP schedule adds more vaccines, like flu, typhoid, hepatitis A, chickenpox and mumps. You pay for these at a private clinic.
- Many families do both. They take the free government vaccines and add the extra IAP vaccines privately. This works well, as long as you keep one record and tell each doctor what has been given.
- The worst choice is doing neither on time. A delayed vaccine because of confusion leaves your baby unprotected for longer.
See both schedules with exact dates for your baby, side by side.
What's the same in both
Both schedules protect your baby against:
- Tuberculosis (BCG at birth)
- Hepatitis B
- Polio
- Diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis) and tetanus
- Hib (a cause of meningitis and pneumonia)
- Rotavirus (severe diarrhoea)
- Pneumococcus (a common cause of pneumonia)
- Measles and rubella
- Japanese encephalitis, in districts where it is common
How they differ
| Government (UIP) | IAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Government hospitals, PHCs, anganwadis | Private pediatricians and hospitals |
| Cost | Free | Paid |
| DTP, Hib, Hepatitis B | Pentavalent (one combined injection) | DTwP or DTaP (the "painless" one), usually as a hexavalent injection that also includes polio |
| Polio | Oral drops, plus small injections into the skin (fIPV) at 6 weeks, 14 weeks and 9 months | Injected polio vaccine (IPV) at 6, 10 and 14 weeks, with boosters, plus oral drops at birth |
| Pneumococcal (PCV) | 3 doses: 6 weeks, 14 weeks, booster at 9 months | 4 doses: 6, 10 and 14 weeks, booster at 15 months |
| Measles | MR (measles and rubella): 9 months and 16–24 months | MMR (adds mumps): 9 months, 15 months and 4–6 years |
| Vitamin A | Given at 9 months, then every 6 months until 5 years | Not part of the schedule |
What IAP adds that isn't in the free programme
- Flu (influenza) vaccine: two doses from 6 months, then once a year until 5 years
- Typhoid conjugate vaccine: one dose at 6 to 9 months
- Hepatitis A: from 12 months
- Chickenpox (varicella): two doses, starting at 15 months
- Mumps: as part of MMR instead of MR
- Tdap at 10 years, which includes whooping cough protection. The government gives Td, which doesn't.
- HPV vaccine: IAP recommends 2 doses between 9 and 14 years for girls, and boys can have it too. Since February 2026, the government programme also gives a single free dose to girls at 14 years.
Can I mix the two schedules?
Yes, and many families do. For example, you might get your baby's routine doses free at the government centre and add the flu, typhoid, hepatitis A and chickenpox vaccines at a private clinic.
A few things keep this safe and simple:
- Keep one vaccination card and take it to every visit, government or private. Take a photo of it on your phone as a backup.
- Tell each doctor what's already been given, with dates. This stops a dose being repeated or missed.
- Don't double up by accident. For example, pentavalent already includes Hib and hepatitis B. Your baby doesn't need those again as separate injections at the same age.
- Ask your pediatrician to plan the extras around the government dates, so there are proper gaps between doses.
Is the government vaccine lower quality?
No. Vaccines used in the government programme meet the same safety and quality standards as those sold privately, and many come from the same manufacturers. The difference between the schedules is how many diseases they cover, not how well the vaccines work.
When should I talk to a pediatrician?
- You're not sure which schedule your baby has been following
- You want to switch from one schedule to the other part way through
- A dose was missed or delayed
- You've lost the vaccination card
- Your baby was born early, or has a medical condition, and you're unsure what's due
Questions parents often ask
Is the "painless" vaccine better?
It causes less fever and soreness afterwards. Both protect well. The painless (DTaP) version is only available privately. The government programme uses the regular (whole-cell) version.
My baby got pentavalent at the government centre. Does my private doctor need to give Hib and hepatitis B again?
Not for the same doses. Pentavalent already contains both. Show the card so your doctor can plan correctly.
Is the HPV vaccine free now?
For girls at 14 years, yes, through the government programme since February 2026. For younger girls and for boys, it's available privately.
Do both schedules include Japanese encephalitis (JE)?
Only in districts where JE is common. Ask your pediatrician whether it's recommended where you live.
Sources & clinical references
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. National Immunization Schedule, Universal Immunization Programme.
- Indian Academy of Pediatrics Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices (ACVIP). Recommended Immunization Schedule (2023). Indian Pediatrics, 2024.
- Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for girls aged 14 years, launched 28 February 2026.