Tracking baby vaccines with Cubby: built-in schedules, no missed jabs
Vaccine appointments are easy to forget. Not because parents do not care about them, but because the first year with a baby is relentless, and the letter from the clinic gets buried, or recycled by accident, or never arrives. The GP does not always call. The six-week check gets rescheduled. Life moves fast and a due date that was three weeks away is suddenly overdue.
Missing a vaccine window is rarely catastrophic, but it is stressful when you realise it has happened, and catch-up appointments take organising. The easier fix is to know what is coming before it is due.
The missed jab problem
Most parents rely on a combination of clinic letters, memory and, increasingly, a note in a calendar app. The problem with clinic letters is that they are physical and perishable. The problem with memory is that it is unreliable in the fog of the first year. The problem with a calendar note is that it tells you the date but not what the vaccine is, what it covers, or whether your baby has already had a particular jab at a previous appointment.
What you actually need is a record that knows your baby's date of birth, knows the schedule that applies to them, calculates the due dates automatically, and shows you clearly what has been given and what has not. That is what Cubby's vaccine tracker does.
The multi-country problem
Expat families face a more complicated version of this. If you grew up in India, had your baby in the UAE, and are planning to move to the UK in the next two years, there are three different national schedules in play. India's National Immunisation Schedule (NIS), as recommended by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), differs from the UAE's MOHAP schedule in timing and in some of the vaccines included. The UK's NHS schedule differs again.
Without a clear record of what has been given and when, it becomes genuinely hard to know where your baby is relative to any of these schedules. A paediatrician in a new country will ask for the immunisation history. If all you have is a memory and a partially completed clinic card, that conversation is harder than it needs to be.
What Cubby's vaccine tracker does
Cubby includes built-in immunisation schedules for five countries: UAE (MOHAP), India (NIS/IAP), UK (NHS), US (CDC) and Australia. When you set up your baby's profile, you select the schedule that applies. Cubby calculates the due dates based on your baby's date of birth and shows you which vaccines are upcoming, which are due now, and which have been given.
When your baby receives a vaccine, you log it in Cubby with the date. That entry becomes part of the permanent record. Over time you build a complete immunisation history: every jab, with the date it was given, in one place that is always with you on your phone.
The vaccine record as documentation
The log of what your baby has had, and when, is useful in more contexts than most parents expect when they first start keeping it. At medical appointments, especially with a new GP or paediatrician who does not have your baby's history, being able to show the immunisation record immediately is genuinely helpful. For school admissions in many countries, proof of vaccination is required. For international travel, certain vaccines may be asked for at borders or by airlines. Having a digital record that is complete and always accessible is much more reliable than searching for a paper card.
Combining schedules
Cubby shows you the standard schedule for the country you select. If your paediatrician has recommended a modified or catch-up schedule, you can log those vaccines manually with the actual dates given. The app is flexible enough to accommodate what really happened, not just what the standard schedule says should have happened.
If your baby received some jabs in one country and you have since moved to another, you can log the jabs already given with their original dates, then select the schedule for where you are now to see what is still to come. The record is yours to keep accurate.
One thing worth saying clearly: Cubby shows you the standard national schedules and helps you keep track of what has been given. It does not give medical advice. If you have any questions about whether a particular vaccine is right for your baby, or whether your baby needs a catch-up schedule, that is a conversation for your paediatrician.
Beyond the schedule
If you want to understand the vaccines themselves, Cubby's article library includes detailed guides to each national schedule. Read about what is in the UAE's MOHAP schedule and when each jab is due, or get a full breakdown of India's NIS, the UK NHS programme, the US CDC schedule, or the Australian immunisation schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Which vaccine schedules does Cubby have built in?
Cubby includes the official immunisation schedules for five countries: UAE (MOHAP), India (NIS/IAP), UK (NHS), US (CDC) and Australia. You select the schedule that applies to your baby, and the due dates are calculated automatically based on their date of birth.
Can I log vaccines my baby has already had?
Yes. You can log any vaccine as given, including ones your baby received before you started using Cubby. Mark them with the date they were administered and they appear in the record as completed.
What if my baby's schedule is different from the standard schedule?
Cubby shows the standard schedule for the country you select. If your paediatrician has recommended a modified or catch-up schedule, you can log those vaccines manually with the actual dates given. Always follow your paediatrician's advice on timing.
Will Cubby remind me when the next vaccine is due?
Cubby shows you the upcoming vaccine dates in the app so you always know what is coming. In-app dates are visible any time you check the vaccine section. For push notifications, Cubby currently focuses on medicine dose reminders.
Can my paediatrician see the vaccine log in Cubby?
You can show your paediatrician the vaccine log directly from your phone. Cubby Pro also includes a doctor visit PDF export, which lets you produce a summary of your baby's health record including immunisations to bring to an appointment.