IAP vs CDC vaccine schedule: India and the US compared
Last updated · From the same schedule data as our vaccination tracker
Quick answer
The IAP (India) and CDC (US) schedules protect against mostly the same diseases but differ in timing and a few vaccines. India adds BCG, Oral polio and Typhoid conjugate; the US adds Meningococcal. India starts the infant series at 6, 10 and 14 weeks; the US at 2, 4 and 6 months. By age 2, the India schedule lists 34 doses and the US schedule 24.
Dose by dose
| Vaccine | India (IAP) | US (CDC) |
|---|---|---|
| BCG (tuberculosis) | Birth | Not routine |
| Hepatitis B | Birth · 6 weeks · 10 weeks · 14 weeks | Birth · 1–2 months · 6–18 months |
| Oral polio (OPV) | Birth | Not routine |
| DTP / DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) | 6 weeks · 10 weeks · 14 weeks · 16–18 months · 4–6 years | 2 months · 4 months · 6 months · 15–18 months · 4–6 years |
| Hib | 6 weeks · 10 weeks · 14 weeks · 16–18 months | 2 months · 4 months · 12–15 months |
| Pneumococcal (PCV) | 6 weeks · 10 weeks · 14 weeks · 15 months | 2 months · 4 months · 6 months · 12–15 months |
| Polio (IPV) | 6 weeks · 10 weeks · 14 weeks · 16–18 months · 4–6 years | 2 months · 4 months · 6–18 months · 4–6 years |
| Rotavirus | 6 weeks · 10 weeks · 14 weeks | 2 months · 4 months |
| Influenza | 6 months · 7 months | 6 months, then every year |
| Typhoid conjugate | 6–9 months | Not routine |
| MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) | 9 months · 15 months · 4–6 years | 12–15 months · 4–6 years |
| Hepatitis A | 12 months · 18–19 months | 12–23 months · 6 months after dose 1 |
| Varicella (chickenpox) | 15 months · 18–19 months | 12–15 months · 4–6 years |
| HPV | 9–14 years · 9–14 years | 11–12 years · 11–12 years |
| Tdap (teen booster) | 10–12 years | 11–12 years |
| Meningococcal (MenACWY) | Not routine | 11–12 years · 16 years |
Main differences
- Only on the India schedule: BCG (tuberculosis), Oral polio (OPV) and Typhoid conjugate.
- Only on the US schedule: Meningococcal (MenACWY).
- Started earlier in India: DTP / DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Hib, Pneumococcal (PCV), Polio (IPV), Rotavirus, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), HPV and Tdap (teen booster).
- Started earlier in the US: Varicella (chickenpox).
- Influenza: India lists two doses at 6 and 7 months; the US gives flu vaccine every year from 6 months.
Questions parents ask
Should my child follow the IAP or the CDC schedule?
Follow the schedule of the country where your child gets vaccinated, as advised by your paediatrician. The IAP schedule is written for disease patterns in India (for example tuberculosis and typhoid), and the CDC schedule for the US.
We moved from India to the US (or back). What happens to the doses already given?
Doses already given still count. Take the vaccination card to your new doctor, who will match it to the local schedule and give only the doses that are missing (catch-up).
Why does India give MMR at 9 months when the US waits until 12 months?
Measles circulates more in India, so the IAP starts MMR at 9 months and adds extra doses later. In the US, where measles is rarer, the first dose is given at 12–15 months.
Talk to your child's doctor
This is a summary for comparison, not a personal schedule. Brands, combination vaccines and catch-up timing vary, and your paediatrician may adjust them. Check a missed or delayed dose with your doctor rather than restarting the series.
Sources
- IAP Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices — IAP immunization schedule
- CDC — Child and adolescent immunization schedule by age
Track your own child's doses with the vaccination tracker (India and US schedules, with reminders).