Pentashield

Vaccinations protect your child against serious diseases by stimulating the immune system to create antibodies against certain bacteria or viruses.

Universal Immunisation Program is a vaccination program followed in India. Under this program, all infants and children are vaccinated to ensure prevention against many serious life-threatening diseases such as Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, severe forms of childhood tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and Diarrhea.

A fully immunized child has received all vaccines recommended in the National Immunization Schedule in required doses, at the appropriate age.

The duration of immunity varies with different diseases and different vaccines. Lifelong immunity is not always provided by either natural infection or vaccination. The protection provided by vaccines decreases gradually over time. Therefore, booster doses are sometimes recommended for certain vaccines to protect specific age groups.

Currently a booster dose is not recommended for Pentashield Vaccine under Universal Immunization Programme. This is because the Hib vaccine protects for at least 15 years. However, the boosters for Diphtheria, Pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) are recommended at 16-24 months and 5-6 years of age.

Yes. Your child can still get vaccinated if he or she has a mild illness, a low-grade fever, or is taking antibiotics. Vaccination should be delayed only if your child's immunity is severely low or your child is suffering from any systemic illness that leads to low immunity. It would be best to talk with your child’s doctor if you have questions.

No. If your baby misses some doses, it is not necessary to start over. Your child’s doctor may suggest continuing the schedule where your child left off.

Usually, a record of all the vaccination which a child takes is maintained in many medical practices. So, remember to ask for a personal record card or a printed copy of your child’s vaccinations. However, it is still advised to keep records of your own at home. Always carry your copy of the record to all medical appointments. Whenever your child receives a vaccine, make sure your copy gets updated. Your child will benefit by having an accurate vaccination record throughout his or her life.

Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from an infectious disease. It occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to an infection, either through vaccination or due to self-developed immunity against previous infections. Herd immunity helps reduce the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.

Vaccines have been used for decades and have proven to be effective. Like any other medicine, vaccines too cannot provide 100% results. The immunity produced by vaccines may vary from child to child. There may be children who may not be able to develop sufficient protective immunity against a disease-causing pathogen due to malnutrition, repeated episodes of diarrhea, or individual-specific immune response to a vaccine. These reasons may cause some children to suffer from vaccine-preventable diseases despite receiving the vaccination against them. However, in such cases, the disease is of less severity than in those who have never been vaccinated.