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January 20, 2025

Missed your child’s vaccination? Here’s what to do!

Missed your child’s vaccination? Here’s what to do!

One should always stick to their immunisation schedule, but what if you accidentally missed your child’s vaccination? The schedule is made keeping in mind kis age mein the kid could contact which disease. So everyday you delay a vaccine is a day you are exposing the child to the possibility of getting the disease it prevents. There are some commonly experienced fears which parents face when they miss out on a vaccination dose.

  1. Can missing a dose cause any harm? No, immediate nahi, but one should always make sure that the missed dose is administered as soon as possible.

  2. One should consult their paediatrician immediately after missing a dose and, as most associations (including IAP) suggest, one should get an appointment for the closest possible date for the vaccination. This ensures that your child becomes immune as soon as possible.

  3. Do parents need to restart the entire series again because I missed a vaccine? No, there is absolutely no need for you to restart the series, you can simply hop back into the schedule and get the vaccine on the next appointment with your paediatrician. It is extremely rare that someone is suggested to restart their series.

  4. How do Pediatricians help? They help by constructing a catch-up schedule which incorporates the missed vaccine into the vaccination schedule.

  5. One can even utilise mass vaccination campaigns which are generally aimed at providing an opportunity to immunise kids who otherwise miss their routine vaccinations because of multiple reasons, including financial reasons.

Every year, vaccines prevent 3.5-5 million deaths globally. But any delays lead to vulnerability in children. This is why if you miss a vaccination dose, try to get it administered as soon as possible. Restart ya panic karne ki zaroorat nahi hai, just visit your paediatrician and get the dose.  

Sources-

IAP- https://iapindia.org/pdf/Ch-11-IAP-Parental-Guide-on-Vaccination.pdf

WHO - https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1