A 6-month-old Indian infant presents for routine immunisation. According to the IAP schedule, which is the most common inactivated vaccine administered at this age?

Explanation

## Most Common Inactivated Vaccine at 6 Months (IAP Schedule) **Key Point:** Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) is the most universally administered inactivated vaccine at 6 months in the IAP immunisation schedule across India. ### IAP Immunisation Schedule at 6 Months | Vaccine | Type | Age (months) | Frequency in IAP | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **IPV** | Inactivated | 6, 10, 14 weeks (3 doses) | **Universal, mandatory** | | **Hepatitis A** | Inactivated | 12 months onwards | Optional/private; not at 6 months | | **TCV** | Inactivated (conjugate) | 9–12 months onwards | Optional; not at 6 months | | **JE Vaccine** | Inactivated or Live | 9–12 months (regional) | Regional/endemic areas only | **High-Yield:** At 6 months, the IAP schedule includes: - DPT (1st booster) — **inactivated toxoids** - **IPV (3rd dose)** — **inactivated viral vaccine** - OPV (3rd dose) — live attenuated viral vaccine - Hepatitis B (booster) — inactivated Among inactivated vaccines, **IPV is the most commonly administered** because it is part of the universal primary immunisation series at this age. **Clinical Pearl:** IPV replaced OPV as the preferred polio vaccine in many developed countries and is now increasingly used in India alongside OPV. At 6 months, IPV is given as the 3rd dose of the primary series, making it the most frequent inactivated vaccine at this visit. **Mnemonic:** **"IPV at 6 — Inactivated Polio at 6 months"** — IPV is the hallmark inactivated vaccine in the early IAP schedule.