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When your baby should be immunised
It is important that your baby has their immunisations at the right age to give them the best protection – the first ones are given at eight weeks old. They will be given further doses of these immunisations when they are 12 weeks old and 16 weeks old. Other immunisations are given at one year old, 18 months and three years four months.
Why babies are vaccinated so early
Many of these diseases can be particularly serious in young babies.
It is important to make sure babies are protected as early as possible to prevent them catching diseases which can be prevented by vaccination.
There has been a consistent decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations over the last decade. Due to this lower uptake over the past ten years, we are seeing a return of some diseases - recently we have seen outbreaks of measles and whooping cough. These illnesses can be particularly dangerous to young children with many needing to be hospitalised. Parents are reminded not to wait until they hear reports of cases in their area, and to make sure they protect their children with vaccination.
Why babies need more than one dose of vaccine
Most immunisations have to be given more than once to prepare your child’s immunity. For example, three doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine are needed to provide protection in babies. Booster doses are then given later in life to provide longer-term protection.
How will you know when your baby is due for their immunisations
Your GP practice will invite you to bring your baby for their immunisations. You may receive the invite via the post or via a text message. Most areas run special immunisation or baby clinics. If you can’t get to the clinic, contact the surgery to make another appointment. All childhood immunisations are free. You can also find details in your child’s red book.
Childhood immunisation schedule (0-5 years old)
More information on all childhood vaccinations and when to have them can be found below:
NHS vaccinations and when to have them
What are the childhood vaccines?
6-in-1 vaccine
The 6-in-1 vaccine protects babies against six serious illnesses:
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause breathing problems, as well as damaging the heart and nervous system. In severe cases, it can kill. It can be a serious illness especially in children.
Hepatitis B
This infection is caused by a virus, which attacks the liver. This can lead to liver disease such as scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) which stops the liver from working properly and liver cancer. The liver is the largest organ in the body and is very important for good health. Nine out of ten babies who are exposed to Hepatitis B will develop chronic (long-lasting) infection.
Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a type of bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections. Babies and children are most at risk from getting seriously ill. A Hib infection can cause serious conditions including meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia.
Your child can become extremely unwell with these conditions, requiring treatment in hospital. Even with successful treatment, there may be lasting effects such as hearing loss, seizures, loss of limbs and learning disabilities.
Polio
Polio is a serious infection which can cause total paralysis. It mainly affects children aged under three years. Polio is now very rare in the UK because of the success of the Polio vaccination, however the chance of getting ill from polio is higher if you are not fully vaccinated, so it's important to make sure your child has all the doses of the vaccine.
Tetanus
Tetanus is a serious, life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into a wound. It is rare in the UK because of the success of the tetanus vaccine. Although Tetanus is rare, the chances of getting it is higher if you have not been fully vaccinated.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough (pertussis) is an infection that causes long bursts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. Babies under one year of age are most at risk from whooping cough. For these babies, the disease can be very serious and may lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. In the worst cases, it can cause death.
Get more information on the 6-in-1 vaccine:
4-in-1 pre-school booster
The 4-in-1 pre-school booster helps protect children against four serious illnesses:
- diphtheria
- polio
- tetanus
- whooping cough
It boosts the protection provided by the 6-in-1 vaccine. Hepatitis B and Hib are not included in the 4 in 1 vaccination, as boosters for these are not required at this stage.
Get more information on the 4-in-1 pre-school booster:
4-in-1 pre-school booster vaccine - NHS
Pneumococcal Infection
There are many different types of pneumococcal bacteria that can cause an infection. They can cause serious disease such as meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) and less serious infections such as ear infections, pneumonia and bronchitis.
Who is most at risk of pneumococcal infections?
Pneumococcal infections are most common in winter months and particularly affect the very young, older people and people with certain medical conditions. The vaccine provides protection against the most common types of pneumococcal bacteria.
Get more information on the pneumococcal vaccine:
Meningitis B (Men B)
MenB disease is a serious illness caused by the group B strain of meningococcal bacteria. These bacteria cause meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) in young children and teenagers.
Meningitis is inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, this causes pressure on the brain. Meningitis can progress very quickly and can lead to deafness, blindness, epilepsy and learning difficulties. It can even lead to death.
Septicaemia (blood poisoning) is a serious, life-threatening infection that can get worse very quickly and the risk of death is higher compared with meningitis.
Who is most at risk of getting meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease occurs most commonly in infants and young children. This is because their immune system is not yet fully developed to fight off serious infections, but meningitis and septicaemia can strike at any age.
Get more information on the Men B vaccine:
Rotavirus
Rotavirus is an infection that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It is very common, especially in babies and young children. Most babies recover at home but, in a small number of cases, rotavirus infection can become serious, with babies getting dehydrated (losing body fluids) and possibly needing hospital treatment.
Before the introduction of the vaccine, around half of all gastroenteritis (Stomach bugs) in children under five years old was caused by rotavirus and about one out of ten of those children were admitted to hospital.
Rotavirus can spread very easily and, once infected, babies can pass it on to others. Evidence shows that the most effective way to prevent babies catching rotavirus is to give them the rotavirus vaccination.
Get more information on the rotavirus vaccine:
Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella (chickenpox) (MMRV)
Why immunise against Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella (MMRV)?
Varicella (chickenpox) was added to the MMR vaccination from January 2026. The varicella vaccine reduces the risk of severe chickenpox, which can cause serious complications like pneumonia and brain inflammation.
The MMRV vaccine is very effective and is part of the childhood immunisation programme. After two doses, around 99% of people will be protected against measles and rubella and around 88% of people will be protected against mumps and 95% from chicken pox.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to serious complications such as liver infection (hepatitis), squints in the eyes, infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) or infection of the brain itself (encephalitis) and the lungs. Anyone can get measles if they have not been vaccinated or have not had it before.
Those most vulnerable to measles are:
- Babies younger than 1 years old
- Children with a poor diet
- Children with a weakened immune system (such as those with leukaemia)
- Teenagers and adults
People who are vaccinated against mumps but still catch it are less likely to have serious complications or be admitted to hospital.
For further information on the MMRV vaccine, please visit:
MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine (NHS)
It’s never too late to get vaccinated!
Additional vaccines
Some children may need additional vaccinations; this is specifically for those who are at higher risk of catching a certain disease or becoming seriously unwell from a certain disease.
BCG/TB vaccine
TB (Tuberculosis) is mainly given to those who are at higher risk of coming into contact with TB, such as children who are visiting higher risk countries, have a parent or grandparent from a higher risk country or who have visitors from higher risk areas. Check if your child is eligible:
BCG vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) - NHS
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is an acute, infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and is most commonly seen in children under ten years old and can be serious in some people. This virus can also cause shingles (herpes zoster) which tends to be more common in adults. The disease can be more serious in adults, particularly pregnant women.