Vaccinations

Your NHS guide to vaccinations for you and your family

Vaccination checklist

Here's a checklist of the vaccines that are routinely offered to everyone in the UK for free on the NHS, and the age at which you should ideally have them.

2 months:

  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children) given as a 5-in-1 single jab known as DTaP/IPV/Hib
  • Pneumococcal infection 

3 months:                    

  • 5-in-1, second dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib)
  • Meningitis C

4 months:

  • 5-in-1, third dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib)
  • Pneumococcal infection, second dose
  • Meningitis C, second dose

Between 12 and 13 months:

  • Meningitis C, third dose
  • Hib, fourth dose (Hib/MenC given as a single jab)
  • MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), given as a single jab
  • Pneumococcal infection, third dose

3 years and 4 months, or soon after:

  • MMR second jab
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (DtaP/IPV), given as a 4-in-1 pre-school booster

Around 12-13 years:

  • Cervical cancer (HPV) vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer (girls only): three jabs given within six months

Around 13-18 years:

  • Diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster (Td/IPV), given as a single jab

65 and over:

  • Flu (every year)
  • Pneumococcal

Vaccines for risk groups

People who fall into certain risk groups may be offered extra vaccines. These include vaccinations against diseases such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis (TB), seasonal flu and chickenpox. See our sections on vaccines for adults to find out whether you should have one.

Travel and other vaccines

There are also optional vaccines that you may be able to have free on the NHS from your local surgery, including travel vaccinations, such as hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera. See our sections on travel vaccines to find out more about whether you should have one.

If you’re not sure whether you or your child have had all your vaccinations, ask your GP or practice nurse.

Last reviewed: 12/04/2010

Next review due: 12/04/2012

Comments

25 Comments

Our rules

Comments are personal views. Any information they give has not been checked and may not be accurate.

Nikkipesci said on 21 January 2012

My daughter is due her first jabs (at 2 months) in mid march. We are hoping to visit family in Beijing two weeks later (to coincide with easter holidays as they are teachers). Is it safe to take her to china before she's had all 3 early vaccinations? Does she need any additional jabs before we travel? If so, would these need to be given earlier than the routine jabs?
We haven't booked any flights yet so any advice would be appreciated to help us decide whether or not to go.

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 09 January 2012

Dear Modpom,

1) Is it safe to give MenC at 9 months: Yes (It sounds like he hasn't had any doses yet so this would be the first).
2) Will he require a booster after 12 months: Yes (have a dose of Hib/menC as normally recommended in the UK after his first birthday).
3) Will he require additional immunisation of this with regards to his schedule completion for nursery/school (UK schedule shows 3 doses): No, two doses at these ages will suffice.

MMR: If he's flying directly to the UK (not stopping for a month en route), then it's doubtful a dose of MMR pre-flight is needed. If he does have a dose at nine months, then it is ignored and two further MMRs should be given.

Hope this helps,

Kathryn Bingham, NHS Choices Editor

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Modpom said on 08 January 2012

We are returning to the UK from Australia and there are a couple of differences with regards to the immunisation schedule. My son will be 10 months on return and we have been advised to have the following:
Meningococcal C - In Australia given 1 dose at 12 months.
1) is it safe to give at 9 months
2) Will he require a booster after 12 months
3) Will he require additional immunisation of this with regards to his schedule completion for nursery/school (UK schedule shows 3 doses)

MMR - In Australia given at 12 months
1) Is it safe to give at 9 months
2) Will he require a booster after 12 months

We had been advised to have this as we will be flying internationally and told that at 9 months+ the immunity system is low
Thanks in advance

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 14 December 2011

Dear user623892

In general, it's better for a baby to have the first vaccinations at 8 weeks because evidence shows they're safe and effective when given at that age. But in the case of travel abroad, when it's important to get the first vaccination done, it's better to have had the first dose at six weeks rather than not have any vaccine at all.

Kathryn Bingham, NHS Choices Editor

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 14 December 2011

Dear Hollister23,

A minor tummy bug a few days before your appointment shouldn't be a problem. Go to the surgery as planned. The nurse will check that your child has got over the tummy bug.

Kathryn Bingham, NHS Choices Editor

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User623892 said on 11 December 2011

Hi I was offered to have my baby's first vaccination done at her 6-week check up. Is it OK to do it earlier than when she is 8 weeks old? Many thanks for your advice!

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Hollister23 said on 11 December 2011

My son is having his 12 month injections on monday and has been suffering with a lil tummy bg for the past 3 days...will they still give him his jabs?

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LilyPad said on 13 October 2011

My daughter is 13 1/2 weeks old and hasn't received a letter stating when she she needs her next set of injections and what she's having. Do I need to contact someone about this or will it be arriving any time soon? Thanks

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kymgreener said on 14 September 2011

My son who turned 1 year old on 28th August had his injections on monday 12th septemeber and i was only expected one and he had all three aswell.
I thought he was going to have one then at 13months have 2 more including MMR but she said they do them all at the same time now which i supose is good as it means theres no more now until 3 and half years

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JohnBeeBee said on 08 September 2011

My daughter who has very recently turned one went for her vaccinations yesterday and was given three injections at once. I've since found out that the schedule should have been 1 injection at 12 months and 2 injections at 13 month. I've phoned the health visitor and she think it's odd that all 3 were given at once. I've called the GP and the receptionist came back after talking to someone else saying it's fine.

Does anyone know if it is acceptable to give all 3 of the 12 and 13 month injections at once?

PS my two older children had their vaccinations correctly and according to the schedule. They are 4 and 2 years old and so it wasn't that long ago. Also I've just created a wall planner schedule using the tool on this web site and that also says their should be one injection at 12 month and 2 at 13 months.

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Kerz said on 30 August 2011

Hi, could anyone help me please? My 19 month old has missed his •Meningitis C, third dose
•Hib, fourth dose (Hib/MenC given as a single jab)
•MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), given as a single jab
•Pneumococcal infection, third dose (12-13 months) as we are living temporaily in Spain, although he can have his MMR in Spain the other immunisations are different in Spain so he was unable to recieve them, is it to late to have the boosters here in the UK now or will he have to start from the beginging again and therefore would it be better to begin the Spainish immunisation programme? Thanks

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PrettyMonkey said on 14 July 2011

My daughter (12 1/2 months) has jsut received the first MMR jab and the booster pneumoccocal (3rd dose). She was supposed to also get the Men C/Hib booster jab but the nurse accidentally only gave her a Men C jab. Now she has to go back in a month to get the Hib jab, but as that only comes with men C that means she will have one too many of the Men C jabs. Is this OK? Are there any side effects of having too much of the Men C vaccine? Thanks.

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 16 June 2011

Dear KO31,

There is no booster dose of MMR. You need two doses of MMR to be fully protected against measles, mumps and rubella.
These are routinely given as first dose between 12 and 13 months and second dose between 3 years 4 months and five years. However if you have not received two doses of MMR vaccine or are unsure whether you have recieved two doses you should ask your GP to complete your MMR immunisation course.

Kathryn Bingham, NHS Choices editor

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pimskie said on 10 June 2011

My son is now 13 months and 2 weeks old and has not had his MMR nor his 3rd MenC, 4th Hib and 3rd Pneumococcal.
I asked my GP and she said he was only due an MMR at 15 months, and no mention of the 3rd and 4th doses of the other vaccines.
I am worried now that this leaves him totally unprotected, especially as he attends nursery and I don't know if any other children are immunised.
WHy is my surgery not following the schedule?

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KO31 said on 08 June 2011

Hi I was just wondering, I'm 18 and I haven't had my second mmr jab (I think) I got sent a letter for one and I don't know if it were for the second jab or the booster
I am still at risk or should I go and get another shot?
Kirsty.

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ozayusra said on 04 June 2011

hi, could you please help me to complete the immunisations of my daughters?

my first daughter was born in july 2006 and my second one was in april 2008, when my sacond daughter was 6 months old we moved to Turkey and i am finding it difficult to follow up their immunisation schedules from here,
the vaccinations that they had so far as follows;
my first daughter; 5-in1 single jab+Men C at 2nd,3rd and 4th months and 12-18 months 1st and 2nd MMR,
my second daughter received 2nd 3rd and 4th months vaccinations in the UK as they are mentioned in the article above, after those, in Turkey she only received her 1st dose MMR at 13 months,
now my both daughters are due to 4-in-1 jab (no Hib) and my second daugher is also gonna receive the 2nd dose of MMR,

therefore there are some vaccinations that my daughters missed, for instance, my first daughter never received any PVC, they both missed the 4th dose of Hib, my second daughter also missed her 3rd dose of Men C and the 3rd dose of PVC,
would you recommend me to let them have those missed vaccinations now or is it too late for them, as they were scheduled at 12-13 months and my daughters are 3 and 5 years old?

many thanks,

Ozgecan,

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 20 April 2011

Dear Louise,

It would seem sensible to get your little boy vaccinated early.

If his first MMR dose was given in line with the routine schedule soon after his first birthday, then his second dose of MMR can be given after three months.

This is set out in the green book's chapter on measles in this link:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_122643.pdf

Please note that if your little boy's first dose of MMR vaccine was given early (under 12 months), he might need additional doses of MMR vaccine. Check the green book or with your GP for further advice.

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User125163 said on 10 April 2011

Hi

I was wondering about the 2nd dose of the MMR vaccine. I believe that its 3yrs 4months as this is when most children have just started nursery, but in my area they have funding from the age of 2.
My little boy has just turned 3 and I was wondering whether it is possible for him to have the vaccine early as I am concerned there may be children at nursery that have not been vaccinated at all.

Many Thanks

Louise

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 23 March 2011

Dear tessamd,

In September 2006, the national childhood immunisation programme was changed to include a booster dose of Hib/MenC at 12 months. This was to offer children better and longer lasting protection against Hib and MenC.

As your son was born in 2006 he may have started on the old immunisation schedule, which is probably why he'll have the old schedule in his red book.

He should have switched over to the new schedule when he was a year old and had the booster dose of Hib/MenC at 12 months as part of the new schedule. If your son has not had this booster vaccine, as the letter you've received suggests, it's recommended that he should.

Kathryn Bingham, NHS Choices editor

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tessamd said on 14 March 2011

Hi,can anyone help answer a question I have? Today I got a letter saying that my son has not had a complete course of the Hib/MenC vaccine and so I need to take him in for this but, according to the vaccination schedule in his record book, he has had them all. The vaccination schedule is different to the one on this page as he was born in 2006 and I know it all changed after that. I don't want to put him through the stress of having the jab if he doesn't need it but at the same time don't want to put him at risk! My daughter had the same vaccinations but I haven't had a letter saying she needs another jab. Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers!

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Kathryn at NHS Choices said on 16 February 2011

Dear Jai1988,

Before 2005 all children were given the BCG in school to protect against TB. Since 2005, the Government has changed the policy in line with expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. BCG is now targetted at people in specific 'at risk' groups and is mainly given to babies.

A baby should be vaccinated against TB if he or she lives in an area where TB is common or has parents or grandparents who come from a country where TB is common (ie TB cases are greater than 40 in 100 000 of the population)

Full details can be found in the TB chapter of the green book http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_079917

Kathryn, NHS Choices editor



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jai1988 said on 30 January 2011

Hello I am currently working in a nursery and I am completing my Level 3 in Childcare and Im having to explain about immunisations and I am using this site as a guide but I notice that older children no longer have the TB vaccination is this correct or just accidentally missed off?

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Dave the Nurse said on 27 January 2011

Caroline there was an MMR catch up campaign in 2008/9 which was primarily in response to a rise in the number of cases of measles. As you correctly point out it is important that rubella is protected against, particularly in females therefore non-immune members of your family should see their GP to arrange for immunisation with MMR.

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caroline64 said on 25 January 2011

I have been through everything I can find and am very surprised that there is nothing here on catch-up where children have missed a vaccination! I now want to give my children MMR as it has been proven safe for the majority and the single rubella vaccine is no longer licensed in the UK - so my daughter/grandchildren will be at risk for rubella in pregnancy unless she has MMR. We have been told that many children were not given this so whay no move to catch up? Seems odd to me. Can a section be posted on this?

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TapsOn said on 30 December 2010

I've read the studies on the safety of these vaccines but I am still concerned that my child will have too many vaccines too quickly, The vaccines are not guaranteed 100% safe and therefore the responsibility stays with me, the parent. There is very little information on the data supporting the safety of the current vaccination checklist.

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