Child Vaccinations

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, kids should have their jabs at the right age to protect them as early as possible and minimise the risk of infection.

 

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. You can also read this information on the NHS.uk page.

child vaccinations

 

2 months (8 weeks):

  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children) and hepatitis B given as a 6-in-1 single jab known as DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB
  • Rotavirus
  • Meningococcal B (MenB)
 

3 months (12 weeks):

  • 6-in-1, second dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB)
  • Rotavirus, second dose
  • Pneumococcal infection
 

4 months (16 weeks):

  • 6-in-1, third dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB)
  • MenB, 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, second dose
  • MenB, 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, given as a single jab
 

Around 13-18 years:

  • Diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster (Td/IPV), given as a single jab
  • MenACWY vaccine, which protects against 4 strains for the meningococal bacteria - A, C, W and Y - which causes meningitis and blood poisoning (septicaemia), given as a single jab
 

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 the NHS.uk pages on vaccines for adults to find out whether you should have one.

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