6, 10 & 14-Week Vaccines for Babies: Schedule, Names, Side Effects & What to Do if Delayed

The first few months after your baby is born are full of small milestones, and somewhere in between the feeding schedules and sleepless nights, three vaccination dates quietly become some of the most important appointments on your calendar. The 6-week, 10-week, and 14-week vaccines for babies form the backbone of your child’s protection against diseases that can be serious, sometimes fatal, in the first year of life.

If you are a new parent trying to make sense of which shots come when, what the side effects look like, and what happens if you miss a date, this guide walks you through all of it.

Why 6, 10 and 14-Week Vaccines Matter

A newborn is born with some immunity passed on from the mother, but this protection fades within the first few weeks of life. At the same time, a baby’s own immune system is still learning how to defend itself. This gap is exactly why the baby vaccination schedule is front-loaded in the early months, starting as early as 6 weeks of age.

The diseases these vaccines guard against, things like whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B, and pneumococcal infections, are far more dangerous for infants than for older children or adults. A baby’s airways are smaller, their immune response is weaker, and recovery from infections like pertussis or rotavirus diarrhoea can be a lot harder on a tiny body. Spacing the doses at 6, 10, and 14 weeks allows the immune system to build protection step by step, with each round reinforcing the last one.

Sticking to this newborn vaccination chart also means your baby is fully protected by the time they start becoming more mobile and exposed to the outside world, around daycare visits, family gatherings, and the daily rhythm of a full house.

6-Week Vaccines

The 6-week vaccine for a baby marks the first major vaccination visit after the birth doses (BCG, hepatitis B, and OPV given at birth). At this visit, your paediatrician will typically administer:

• DTaP or DTwP (first dose): Protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)
• IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine, first dose): Builds immunity against poliovirus
• Hepatitis B (second dose): Continues protection against hepatitis B infection
• Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b, first dose): Guards against a bacterium that can cause meningitis and pneumonia
• Rotavirus vaccine (first dose): Protects against severe rotavirus diarrhoea, given orally
• PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, first dose): Prevents pneumococcal infections including pneumonia and meningitis

Many paediatricians now use combination vaccines, such as a hexavalent shot, that bundle several of these into a single injection. This means fewer pricks for your baby without skipping on any protection. Your doctor will guide you on which combination suits your baby best.

10-Week Vaccines

The 10-week vaccine for a baby is essentially a continuation of the first round, given exactly four weeks after the 6-week visit. This dose includes the second round of the following:

• DTaP or DTwP (second dose)
• IPV (second dose)
• Hib (second dose)
• Rotavirus vaccine (second dose)
• PCV (second dose)

This second round strengthens the immune response that started with the first set of shots. Spacing the doses four weeks apart is intentional. It gives the immune system enough time to build a response before it is challenged again, which leads to stronger and longer-lasting protection.

14-Week Vaccines

By the time your baby reaches the 14-week vaccine for baby milestones, this is usually the third and final dose in the primary series for most of these vaccines. It includes:

• DTaP or DTwP (third dose)
• IPV (third dose)
• Hib (third dose)
• Rotavirus vaccine (third dose, depending on the brand used)
• PCV (third dose)

Completing this third dose is what gives your baby a fairly strong base level of immunity heading into the next phase of childhood, before the next set of boosters, typically due around 6 months and again around 9 to 12 months.

Common Mild Side Effects

It is completely normal to feel a little anxious before a vaccination appointment, especially with how small and fragile your baby seems. The good news is that vaccine side effects in babies are usually mild and pass on their own within a day or two. These can include:

• Mild fever, usually within 24 to 48 hours of the shot
• Redness, swelling, or tenderness at the injection site
• Fussiness or unusual crying
• Reduced appetite or feeding less than usual
• Drowsiness or sleeping more than usual
• Mild diarrhoea or vomiting, particularly after the oral rotavirus dose

You can manage most of these at home with comfort measures like a cool compress on the injection site, plenty of feeds, and a calm, quiet environment. Paracetamol drops, if recommended by your paediatrician, can help bring down fever and ease discomfort. These reactions are simply a sign that your baby’s immune system is responding and building protection, not a cause for alarm.

What to Do if a Dose is Delayed

Life with a newborn rarely goes exactly to plan. A missed appointment because of a mild illness, travel, or simply a forgotten date is more common than you might think. If you happened to accidentally delay your baby’s vaccination, here is what you need to know.

First, do not panic and do not restart the entire series from scratch. Vaccines work on a catch-up basis. Whether your baby is a few days or a few weeks behind, your paediatrician will simply pick up from where the schedule left off rather than starting all over again.

Second, book the next available appointment as soon as you realise the dose has been missed. The longer the gap, the longer your baby goes without the intended level of protection.

Third, carry your baby’s vaccination card or chart to the appointment. This helps your doctor quickly work out the adjusted schedule and avoid any duplicate or missed doses.

Most paediatricians keep some flexibility built into the calendar precisely because delays happen. A short delay of a week or two generally does not significantly affect how well the vaccine works, as long as the doses are eventually completed.

When Not to Delay Vaccination

While occasional short delays are manageable, there are situations where you should make every effort to stick to the schedule rather than push it further:

• If your baby is due for the first dose in a series, since later doses depend on the timing of the first
• During disease outbreaks in your area, such as a spike in whooping cough or measles cases
• If you are planning travel, especially to areas with lower vaccination coverage
• If your baby has any underlying health condition that increases their vulnerability to infections
• If the delay has already stretched beyond a few weeks without a clear medical reason

A mild cold or low-grade fever is usually not a reason to delay vaccination, but it is always worth a quick conversation with your paediatrician to confirm your baby is fit for the vaccine shot on the scheduled day.

When to Call a Paediatrician

Most reactions after a vaccine are mild and resolve without any intervention. However, you should call your paediatrician or seek immediate medical attention if you notice:

• Fever above 102°F (38.9°C) or a fever that lasts more than 48 hours
• Excessive, inconsolable crying that lasts for several hours
• Swelling at the injection site that is unusually large, hard, or spreading
• Signs of an allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or lips, or a widespread rash
• Seizures or unusual stiffness
• Persistent vomiting or signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies than usual
• Your baby appears unusually limp, pale, or unresponsive

These reactions are rare, but knowing the warning signs means you can act quickly if something does not look right.

Visit Cura’s Pediatric Department

This guide covers the 6, 10, and 14-week milestones in detail, but your baby’s full immunisation journey continues well beyond the first few months, with important doses due at 6 months, 9 months, and into the second year of life. For a complete, month-by-month newborn vaccination chart covering birth through early childhood, our paediatric team at Cura Multispeciality Hospitals can walk you through the entire schedule and help you stay on track at every stage.

Book a consultation with our paediatric team to get a personalised vaccination plan for your baby.