A child's vaccination record is one of the most practically consequential medical documents a parent will ever maintain. School admissions require it. Travel visas depend on it. New paediatricians ask for it at every new patient visit. And yet, most Indian parents rely on a small paper booklet — often partially filled, sometimes lost — to capture a record that spans the first fifteen years of their child's life.

This guide covers everything: India's complete immunisation schedule, what other health records matter alongside vaccinations, how to digitise and organise these records, and what to do when records are incomplete or missing.

Why Vaccination Records Matter Beyond the Obvious

Most parents know vaccination records are needed for school. But the practical importance extends further:

Medical decision-making. If your child develops a fever after a vaccine or has a reaction to a specific antigen, that information must be recorded and communicated to every subsequent healthcare provider. Future booster decisions depend on knowing which vaccines were given, when, and by whom.

Travel requirements. International travel often requires proof of specific vaccinations. Yellow Fever vaccination is a mandatory entry requirement for travel to many African and South American countries. The COVID-19 period reinforced how quickly vaccine documentation can become a travel requirement. Children's vaccination records should be in a format that can be produced on demand at an airport or consulate.

Outbreak response. During disease outbreaks — measles, polio, or others — public health authorities and schools need to determine quickly who is vaccinated and who is not. A child with a clear, complete vaccination record can be cleared rapidly; a child with missing documentation may face school exclusion during an outbreak even if they were actually vaccinated.

Adult health. Many childhood vaccines provide protection that wanes over time and requires boosters in adulthood. Tetanus-diphtheria boosters are recommended every ten years. Hepatitis B vaccination status is relevant in adulthood for healthcare workers and for people undergoing certain procedures. Knowing your childhood vaccination history — accurately — is an asset throughout life.

India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP): The Complete Schedule

The Government of India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) is one of the largest immunisation programmes in the world. It currently covers 12 vaccines delivered through government health facilities at no cost. The schedule below reflects the current national guidelines.

At Birth

• BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) — tuberculosis prevention
• OPV 0 (Oral Polio Vaccine, birth dose)
• Hepatitis B (Birth dose)

6 Weeks

• DPT 1 (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus — pentavalent)
• OPV 1
• IPV 1 (Injectable Polio Vaccine)
• Rotavirus Vaccine 1
• PCV 1 (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine)
• Hepatitis B 2

10 Weeks

• DPT 2 (Pentavalent)
• OPV 2
• Rotavirus Vaccine 2
• PCV 2

14 Weeks

• DPT 3 (Pentavalent)
• OPV 3
• IPV 2
• Rotavirus Vaccine 3
• PCV 3

9–12 Months

• Measles/MR 1 (Measles-Rubella)
• JE Vaccine 1 (Japanese Encephalitis — in selected districts)
• Vitamin A (first dose)
• PCV Booster

16–24 Months

• DPT Booster 1
• OPV Booster
• Measles/MR 2
• JE Vaccine 2 (in selected districts)
• Vitamin A (second dose, and then six-monthly until 5 years)

5–6 Years

• DPT Booster 2

10 Years and 16 Years

• Td (Tetanus-diphtheria booster)

Additional Vaccines (Private Sector / Recommended but not universally in UIP)

Many paediatricians also recommend additional vaccines not currently in the UIP:

• Varicella (chickenpox)
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella — instead of MR)
• Typhoid (conjugate vaccine)
• Hepatitis A
• Influenza (annual)
• Meningococcal vaccine
• HPV vaccine (adolescent girls)

Record every vaccine given — whether government or private facility, free or paid — with the date, batch number if available, and the administering clinic.

What Else to Record: Beyond Vaccinations

A child's health record is more than a vaccination ledger. Other records that matter:

Growth Parameters

• Weight and height at each well-baby visit (plotted against WHO growth charts)
• Head circumference in the first two years
• BMI as the child grows older

Why these matter: Growth charts provide the earliest signal for nutritional problems, hormonal disorders, and developmental delays. A single weight reading is much less informative than a trend over twelve months.

Developmental Milestones

When your child first smiled, sat, stood, walked, and spoke. This is not just sentimental — developmental milestone records are used by paediatric neurologists and developmental paediatricians to assess whether concerns are a new development or a long-standing pattern.

Allergy History

Any known food allergies (peanuts, milk protein, eggs, seafood), medication allergies, and environmental allergies (dust mites, pollen). Include the specific reaction: hives, anaphylaxis, gastrointestinal distress. This information is critical for any healthcare provider treating your child.

Significant Illnesses

Major illnesses — febrile seizures, pneumonia, hospitalisation for any cause, significant infections — should be recorded with dates and what treatment was given. These are the elements of a medical history that a new paediatrician or specialist will ask about.

Surgical and Procedure History

Any surgery, major procedure, anaesthesia, or hospital admission. Include the hospital name, the surgeon's name if relevant, and the outcome.

Vision and Hearing Screenings

Annual school screenings and any formal ophthalmology or audiology assessments.

Dental Records

Dental X-rays, treatment history, orthodontic work.

School Health Records

Many schools conduct annual health checkups. These records — often overlooked — can provide useful longitudinal data.

The Problem with Paper Vaccination Booklets

India's standard immunisation record is a small paper booklet issued at the time of the first vaccination, often at a government health centre or by the family paediatrician. These booklets have significant limitations:

They get lost. The booklet is typically held by the parent and carried to each appointment. Over a childhood of fifteen or more years, booklets are misplaced, left behind during house moves, or simply deteriorate.

They are often incomplete. When children receive some vaccines at a government facility and others at a private paediatrician, the records are split across two systems — and the two providers rarely communicate. A child who receives BCG at a government centre and all subsequent vaccines at a private clinic effectively has two partial records, neither complete.

They cannot be shared easily. A paper booklet cannot be sent to a school by email, shared with a specialist on a teleconsultation, or accessed by a grandparent in an emergency.

Batch numbers and adverse reactions are rarely recorded. A paper booklet typically records only the vaccine name and date. Batch numbers (needed for adverse event reporting) and any reactions noted are usually not documented.

How to Digitise and Organise Vaccination Records

Step 1: Gather all existing vaccination records

• The original MCP card (Mother and Child Protection card) or vaccination booklet
• Any private clinic vaccination records
• School health records that include vaccination history
• The Aarogya Setu or CoWIN certificate if the child received COVID-19 vaccination (older adolescents)

Step 2: Create a master vaccination table

A simple table with columns:

• Vaccine name
• Disease prevented
• Date given
• Age at time of vaccination
• Administering facility and doctor
• Batch number (if available)
• Any noted reaction

This table becomes the working vaccination record — updated at each visit and shareable as a single document.

Step 3: Photograph or scan every physical document

Use a phone camera in good light. Scan both sides of every card, every page of the booklet, and every clinic printout. Store these as backups.

Step 4: Set up a digital tracking system

Use a medical records app (Ayu tracks the complete child health record including vaccinations) or a simple folder structure on cloud storage. Whatever system you use, ensure it is accessible to both parents and backed up.

What to do about missing vaccines

If records are incomplete or you are unsure whether a specific vaccine was given:

1. Check with the paediatrician or clinic where most vaccinations were administered — they may have a record
2. Check whether any historical CoWIN data is available (for vaccines given post-2020 that were registered)
3. Consult the current paediatrician — for most vaccines, if there is no record, the recommendation is to re-vaccinate rather than leave a potential gap

Missing records are common. Do not assume a vaccine was given just because it should have been given at the scheduled age — records are the proof.

Managing Records as Children Change Paediatricians

Changing paediatricians — when families move, when a doctor retires, or when a child transitions from paediatric to adult care — is a common event that creates significant record gaps.

When changing paediatricians

• Request a complete record summary from the departing paediatrician
• Ask specifically for: the vaccination record, growth chart history, allergy list, significant illness history, and any developmental concerns noted
• Do not wait for records to be forwarded — request them at the final appointment and carry them to the first appointment with the new provider

Transition to adult care

Around age 18, patients transition from paediatric to adult healthcare. This is an important moment to compile the complete childhood health record:

• All vaccinations given
• All significant illnesses and hospitalisations
• Allergy history
• Any chronic conditions diagnosed during childhood (asthma, type 1 diabetes, congenital conditions)
• Mental health history if relevant
• Growth and developmental history

This compiled record should follow the young adult through their adult healthcare interactions.

School Admission and Travel: Practical Documentation

For school admissions

Most Indian schools require evidence of vaccination as part of admission. Requirements vary by school and state, but commonly requested documentation includes:

• BCG vaccination (often evidenced by the scar)
• Polio vaccination
• Measles/MMR vaccination

Keep a clean, legible printed copy of the vaccination table specifically for school submission purposes.

For international travel

Check the specific vaccination requirements for the destination country well in advance — at least six weeks before travel. Some vaccines (Yellow Fever, Meningococcal for Hajj/Umrah) require documentation in a specific international format (the ICVP, International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, also called the Yellow Card).

Yellow Fever vaccination must be administered at a government-authorised vaccination centre, and the certificate is issued on a specific form. A private clinic cannot issue this certificate.

The general principle: carry a complete, signed vaccination record when travelling internationally with children. Digital copies on a phone are useful for reference; paper copies are needed for formal border or consulate verification.

Using Ayu to Track Your Child's Health Records

Ayu allows families to maintain separate profiles for each family member, including children, with all health records in one accessible place.

• Complete vaccination tracker: Record each vaccine as it is administered, with date and administering facility
• Growth charts: Plot weight and height over time against age-appropriate reference ranges
• AI document scanning: Photograph the paper vaccination booklet — Ayu reads and extracts the information automatically
• Allergy and medical history records: Maintain a complete health history alongside the vaccination record
• Instant sharing: Generate a PDF or QR code to share the vaccination record with a school, doctor, or travel authority
• Works offline and in 22 Indian languages

Download Ayu free →

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my child's vaccination booklet is lost?

First, contact the paediatrician or clinic where vaccines were administered — most clinics maintain their own records and can provide a duplicate or certificate. For vaccines given at government facilities, the district health office may maintain records. If records truly cannot be recovered, consult the current paediatrician about catch-up vaccination — for most vaccines, re-vaccination is safe and recommended when documentation is absent.

Does my child need additional vaccines beyond the government UIP schedule?

The UIP covers vaccines for which the government has established universal need. Your paediatrician may recommend additional vaccines based on your child's specific circumstances — travel, family health history, local disease prevalence, or individual risk factors. Discuss additional vaccines at each well-child visit, particularly at six weeks, nine months, and one year of age.

At what age should I transition my child's health records to them?

Begin involving children in their own health records during adolescence — explaining what the records contain and why they matter. Full handover is appropriate around age 18 when the young adult begins managing their own healthcare. Prepare a comprehensive summary document at that transition point.

Can I use the government's CoWIN platform for my child's vaccination records?

CoWIN is specifically for COVID-19 vaccination certificates. For the complete UIP vaccination record, the primary record is the MCP card or vaccination booklet issued by the paediatrician or government health centre. There is no national digital repository currently that covers the full childhood vaccination schedule, though the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is working toward this.

My child missed several scheduled vaccines. How do I get back on track?

Speak with the current paediatrician. A catch-up vaccination schedule can be designed based on the child's age, which vaccines are documented as given, and the recommended intervals. Missing scheduled doses does not mean starting over — partial protection from prior doses usually counts, and catch-up schedules are designed to complete immunity as efficiently as possible.

How do I document a vaccine adverse event?

Document the date, time, and nature of the reaction (redness at injection site, fever, rash, any unusual behaviour). Report it to the paediatrician who administered the vaccine — India has an Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) surveillance system that physicians are required to report to. The event should be noted in the child's permanent vaccination record so that future providers know about it.

1. National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Universal Immunisation Programme. https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=824&lid=220

2. World Health Organization. Child Health and Nutrition. https://www.who.int/health-topics/child-health

3. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. National Immunization Schedule. https://nhm.gov.in/New_Updates_2018/NHM_Components/Immunization/Guildelines_for_immunization/National_Immunization_Schedule.pdf

4. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance. https://www.mohfw.gov.in/AEFI.html