Childhood immunisation schedule
It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.
Routine childhood immunisation schedule
| Age | Vaccines |
| 8 weeks
|
|
| 12 weeks
| 6-in-1 vaccine (2nd dose)
Rotavirus vaccine (2nd dose)
|
| 16 weeks
| 6-in-1 vaccine (3rd dose)
MenB vaccine (2nd dose)
|
| 1 year
| Hib/MenC vaccine (1st dose)
MMR vaccine (1st dose)
Pneumococcal vaccine (2nd dose)
MenB vaccine (3rd dose)
|
| 2 to 15 years
| Children’s flu vaccine (every year until children finish Year 11 of secondary school) |
| 3 years and 4 months
| MMR vaccine (2nd dose)
4-in-1 pre-school booster vaccine
|
Adolescent vaccination programme (delivered in schools)
| Age | Vaccines |
| 12 to 13 years
| |
| 14 years
| 3-in-1 teenage booster vaccine
|
Extra vaccines for at-risk people
| At risk group | Vaccines |
| Babies born to mothers who have hepatitis B
| Hepatitis B vaccine at birth, 4 weeks and 12 months |
| Children born in areas of the country where there are high numbers of TB cases
| BCG tuberculosis (TB) vaccine at around 4 weeks |
| Children whose parents or grandparents were born in a country with many cases of TB
| BCG tuberculosis (TB) vaccine at around 4 weeks |
| Children 6 months to 17 years old with long-term health conditions
| Children’s flu vaccine every year |
How to book your child’s vaccination appointment
You will be contacted by your GP surgery when your child is due a routine immunisation – this could be by phone, text or email.
If your child has missed any vaccinations, then it is best to speak to your GP surgery. While it is best for your children to have their vaccinations according to the NHS vaccination schedule, it is never too late to check if they can still have them.
Statistics
- The UK’s childhood vaccination programme prevents around 5,000 deaths, and over 100,000 hospital admissions, each year in England.
- NHS England data shows if 95% of children receive the MMR vaccine, this would stop measles spreading completely. Measles, mumps and rubella can quickly spread again if fewer than 90% of people are vaccinated.
- NHS England also notes that, since vaccines were introduced in the UK, diseases like smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or disable millions of people are either now gone or very rarely seen.
- Data from UKHSA show that, while measles can be mild for some children, one in five will require a hospital visit. Infection can lead to complications, such as meningitis and sepsis, in one in fifteen children.
- While most young children recover from Meningitis B, around 1 in 20 die from the infection. Many of those who survive have a permanent disability, such as brain damage, epilepsy, hearing loss, or the loss of limbs (amputation).
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) states 1 in 200 polio infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5–10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
