Is your child up to date with their vaccinations? Make sure you check their Red Book or contact your GP practice to find out & book in any missed doses.
We know your child’s health is your top priority – and so protecting them from serious disease is incredibly important. That is why the NHS offers a free childhood vaccine programme, safeguarding your child from certain illnesses.
One of the most important things that a parent can do for their child is to make sure that they have all their routine childhood vaccinations. It’s the most effective way of keeping them protected against infectious diseases. Ideally, children should have their jabs at the right age to protect them as early as possible and minimise the risk of infection.
Children’s immunisations clinics will usually be held at the surgery on Mondays and Tuesdays from 1:30-4:30. Please call our reception on 01827 713664 to make an appointment.
The UK’s childhood vaccination programme prevents around 5,000 deaths, and more than 100,000 hospital admissions, each year in England.
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.
However, in recent years we have seen a trend of lower vaccine uptake, and this has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Sadly, England no longer has the high levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organisation for highly infectious diseases like measles to be eliminated (95%), and this has led to increased risk for those who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.
Preventable childhood infections can have a huge impact on a child’s life: they can miss out on education due to time spent unwell, be hospitalised, and have life-long complications such as deafness, blindness, encephalitis (infection of the brain) and paralysis. Sometimes these infections can tragically cause life-long disabilities and even death.
We have already begun to see increased cases of measles and whooping cough, with outbreaks around the country, so there is an urgent need to ensure children are vaccinated and protected against these serious illnesses.
To address falling rates, and ensure children are best protected against preventable diseases, the UKHSA and the NHS launched a national campaign on 4 March 2024 to support efforts to increase uptake of childhood immunisations among children aged 0-5 and highlight the serious risk childhood diseases can pose if children aren’t vaccinated.
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.
Seeing your child get sick is any parent’s worst nightmare, but this can be prevented. Immunisations offer the best protection for children against many common illnesses. Check your child is up to date and contact your GP practice to book any catch up appointments.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines work by causing the body’s immune system to remember the specific infection targeted in each vaccine. Vaccines contain a weakened form or small part of the bacterium or a virus that causes a disease, or tiny amounts of the chemicals that the bacterium produces.
If your child comes into contact with an infection and they have had their vaccines, your child’s body will recognise that infection and quickly respond to fight off diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough and more.
We understand that you may have questions about vaccine safety and effectiveness. All childhood vaccinations offered by the NHS have been used in millions of children and have an excellent safety record. All health authorities worldwide agree that immunisation is the safest way to protect our children’s health.
If you do have any questions, do not hesitate to speak to your GP or health visitor – they will be happy to address any concerns and guide you through the vaccination schedule.
Vaccine risk versus disease risk: why is vaccine immunity better than natural immunity?
There is no other proven, effective way to protect your child against infectious disease without exposing them to the serious risk of that infection.
Childhood infections such as measles, whooping cough and meningitis can cause serious illness, hospitalisation and life-long disabilities. Vaccines teach your child’s immune system how to create antibodies that protect them from diseases.
Vaccines teach your child’s immune system how to create antibodies that protect them from diseases. It’s much safer for your child’s immune system to learn this through vaccination than by catching the diseases and treating them. Vaccines mean if your child comes into contact with the infection, the antibodies will recognise it and be ready to protect them.
What are the “routine” childhood vaccinations and when are they due?
Routine immunisations that are given to children before they start school to help protect them from serious childhood diseases. 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.
Please take a look below to see the routine vaccinations schedule.
| Age | Vaccines |
| 8 weeks | 6-in-1 vaccine Rotavirus vaccine MenB vaccine |
| 12 weeks | 6-in-1 vaccine (2nd dose) Pneumococcal vaccine 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 | HPV vaccine |
| 14 years | 3-in-1 teenage booster vaccine MenACWY 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 |
You can find the full schedule of vaccinations HERE on the NHS website.
Or for more information on which jabs your child needs, when they need them, and what the benefits of each jab are please visit the websites below:
To view a printable copy of the vaccination schedule from birth till 3 years and 4 months please click HERE.
If they’re not vaccinated, they’re not protected.
Vaccinations for preventable illnesses, like #Measles, are free as part of the NHS childhood vaccination schedule. And if you think your child has missed out, you can catch up on any missed doses at your GP practice.
Addressing lower levels of vaccine confidence
Although the vast majority of parents have a high level of confidence in the UK vaccination programme, we know that there is a minority of people who may have lower levels of vaccine confidence, or may just not have all the information they need to make an informed decision about vaccinating their children.
We know that parents really value the opportunity to discuss vaccination with Health Professionals. In the UKHSA 2023 Parental attitudes to vaccines survey although the majority of parents (83%) had already decided that their babies would have all the vaccines offered before the discussion. Fourteen percent of parents who had not made up their mind about vaccination, decided in favour of vaccination following the discussion. Ethnic minorities, men, and younger parents were more likely to have changed their mind and decided to have their baby vaccinated after speaking to a healthcare professional.
We have included some key questions and answers below to help stakeholders speak to parents about their worries and concerns:
How safe are the vaccines?
Before a vaccine is allowed to be used, its safety and effectiveness have to be thoroughly tested. After they have been licensed, the safety of vaccines continues to be monitored. Any rare side effects that are discovered can then be assessed further. All routine vaccines in the NHS programme have been used in millions of children worldwide and have an excellent safety record.
All medicines can cause side effects, but research from around the world shows that immunisation is the safest way to protect your child’s health.
To find out more about vaccination safety and risks please click HERE.
Is it safe to have several vaccinations in one go?
Yes. From birth, babies’ immune systems protect them from the germs that surround them. Without this protection, babies would not be able to cope with the tens of thousands of bacteria and viruses that cover their skin, nose, throat and intestines. This protection carries on throughout life.
Studies have shown that it is safe to have several vaccinations at the same time and your baby/child will be protected from some very serious infections much more quickly when this happens.
Will there be any side effects from the vaccines?
Any side effects that occur are usually mild and short lived. Your child may get a little redness, swelling or tenderness where the injection was given that will disappear on its own. Fever can be expected after any vaccination. There is advice for parents on what to expect after vaccination HERE.
Fever is more common after the first two doses of the Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination, which are given at 8 weeks and 16 weeks old. There is specific advice for parents on how to prevent and treat fever after MenB vaccine at 8 and 16 weeks HERE.
Facts about ingredients in vaccines
Vaccines do not contain any ingredients that cause harm – only ingredients essential to making them safer or more effective and only in very small amounts.
Most vaccines contain a small amount of bacteria, virus or toxin that’s been weakened or inactivated in a laboratory first. Some contain chemicals that make your body think it’s coming into contact with the bacteria, virus or toxin. This means there’s a very low risk of healthy people catching a disease from a vaccine.
The vaccine ingredients are used in very small amounts mixed with water. There is no evidence that any of the ingredients are harmful in such small amounts.
Common Questions and queries
The following Q&A covers commonly asked questions relating to all childhood immunisations.
My child is unwell – can they still go for their vaccination?
If your child has a minor illness without a fever, such as a cold, they should have their immunisations as normal.
If your child is ill with a fever, put off the immunisation until the child has recovered. This is to avoid the fever being associated with the vaccine, or the vaccine increasing the fever your child already has.
Are immunisations necessary when there are so few cases of these diseases?
In the UK, diseases such as measles are kept at bay by high immunisation rates. Around the world, millions of children under the age of 5 die from infectious diseases every year. Many of these deaths could be prevented by immunisation.
As more people travel abroad, and more people come to visit this country, there is a risk that they will bring these diseases into the UK. The diseases may spread to people who haven’t been immunised, or who are still too young to be immunised.
Immunisation doesn’t just protect your child; it also helps to protect your family and the whole community, especially those children and adults who, for medical reasons, can’t be immunised.
- 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.
- We are seeing increasing rates of whooping cough in the first half of 2024 and we expect these increasing rates to last several months. Sadly, there have been over 10,000 cases of whooping cough and 9 reported deaths in infants who developed whooping cough between January and June 2024.
Are there any reasons that my child should not have the vaccine?
Whilst there are very few reasons why babies/children cannot be immunised. Vaccines should not be given to a child who has had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to either a previous dose of the vaccine, or to any contents of that vaccine.
I’m worried that my child may have allergies. Can they be vaccinated?
Very rarely, children can have an allergic reaction soon after immunisation. This reaction may be a rash or itching affecting part or all of the body. The doctor or nurse giving the vaccine will know how to treat this. It does not mean that your child should stop having immunisations.
Anaphylactic reaction
Even more rarely, children can have a severe reaction, within a few minutes of the immunisation, which causes breathing difficulties and can cause the child to collapse. This is called an anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylactic reactions to vaccines are extremely rare, with only 1 anaphylactic reaction in about a million immunisations.
An anaphylactic reaction is a severe and immediate allergic reaction that needs urgent medical attention. The people who give immunisations are trained to deal with anaphylactic reactions and most children recover completely with treatment.
What if my child has an underlying health condition?
Immunosuppressed children
In general, children who are ‘immunosuppressed’ should not receive certain live vaccines.
Children who are immunosuppressed include those whose immune system does not work properly because they are undergoing treatment for a serious condition such as a transplant or cancer, or who have any condition which affects the immune system, such as severe primary immunodeficiency. Primary immunodeficiencies are very rare diseases that mean you are more likely to catch infections. They are usually caused by a faulty gene and are diagnosed soon after birth.
If this applies to your child, you must tell your doctor, practice nurse or health visitor before the immunisation. These children can be best protected by ensuring those around them, for example their siblings, are fully vaccinated.
They will need to get specialist advice on using live vaccines such as MMR, rotavirus vaccine and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG).
There are no other reasons why vaccines should definitely not be given.
What about the MMR and nasal spray flu vaccine? Are there any other reasons why my child should not receive these?
The MMR and nasal flu vaccines are live attenuated vaccines (that is, they contain viruses that have been weakened). Children who are ‘immunosuppressed’ may not be able to receive live vaccines. Children who are immunosuppressed include those:
- whose immune system is suppressed because they are undergoing treatment for a serious condition such as a transplant or cancer, or
- who have any condition which affects the immune system, such as severe primary immunodeficiency. If this applies to your child, you must tell your doctor, practice nurse or health visitor before the immunisation. They will get specialist advice.
How will I know when my baby’s immunisations are due?
Your doctor’s practice or clinic will send you an appointment for you to bring your baby for their immunisations – this could be by phone, text or email. Most surgeries and health centres run special immunisation or baby clinics. If you can’t get to the clinic, contact the practice to make another appointment.
What if my child has missed a vaccination?
It’s important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you miss the appointment, it is best to speak to your GP practice and make a new appointment. You can pick up the immunisation schedule where it stopped without having to start again. 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.
Rotavirus vaccine can only be started in babies up to 15 weeks of age and no dose of the vaccine can be given over 24 weeks of age.
To have full protection, children sometimes need to have booster vaccines. Check their red book or speak to your GP surgery to see if they are missing any.
Can I check my child is up to date with their vaccinations?
If you are not sure if your child has had all their routine vaccinations, check their personal health record (Red Book) or contact the GP practice.
If your child is going abroad, make sure their routine immunisations are up to date. Your child may also need extra immunisations and you may also need to take other precautions.
Useful links
- NHS England: Childhood vaccinations
- NHS England: Why vaccination is important and the safest way to protect yourself
- UKHSA blog: Protecting your children through vaccination
- Department for Education blog: What to do if you think your child has measles and when to keep them off school
UKHSA further information:
- Immunisations: babies up to 13 months of age
- Immunisations at one year of age
- Pre-school vaccinations: guide to vaccinations from 2 to 5 years
- Have you had your MMR?
- What to expect after vaccinations
- Vaccines and porcine gelatine
- Use of human and animal products in vaccines
- Immunisation information for migrants
For More information on some of the specific vaccinations available please click on the links below.
