Childhood vaccinations

One of the best ways to protect children from getting seriously ill from preventable diseases, like whooping cough and measles, is to make sure they’re up to date with all their routine vaccinations. Vaccinations prevent over 5,000 deaths and over 100,000 hospital admissions each year in England.

All childhood vaccinations offered by the NHS are free and have been used in millions of children worldwide with an excellent safety record.

Click the link below for the full UK childhood vaccination schedule. Babies usually have their first vaccines at 8 weeks old with further vaccines given until they are 15 years old.

NHS vaccinations and when to have them – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

If your child is under 5 years old, you will be contacted by your GP practice when your child is due a routine immunisation – this could be by phone, text or email.

If your child is school age, they will be vaccinated in school once you have completed a consent form. You can contact the School Aged Immunisation Service on 01522 572950 or email lhnt.sais@nhs.net.

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. If your child has missed any vaccinations, then it is best to speak to your GP practice.

Useful information:

Vaccination tips for parents – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Home | Vaccine Knowledge Project (ox.ac.uk)

Childhood vaccines | British Society for Immunology

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do vaccines work?

    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. Vaccines work by causing the body’s immune system to develop memory to that infection. If your child comes into contact with the infection, the body will recognise it and can rapidly make antibodies (substances that fight off infection and disease) to protect him or her. Because vaccines have been used so successfully in the UK, diseases such as diphtheria have almost disappeared from this country. 

    Find out more - How do vaccines work? (who.int)

  • What are vaccines made of?

    Each vaccine will be made up of slightly different ingredients depending on how the vaccine has been developed. The active ingredient in a vaccine is a very small amount of a harmless form of the bacteria or virus you are vaccinating against, which cannot cause disease. The role of the active ingredient is to deliver antigens to your immune system to generate a specific immune response.

    Find out more about vaccine ingredients - Vaccine ingredients | Vaccine Knowledge Project (ox.ac.uk)

  • 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 will be protected as soon as possible from some very serious infections.

  • Why does my child need multiple doses of the same vaccines?

    Most immunisations have to be given more than once to prepare your child’s immunity, this allows the body to learn how to fight the disease or virus. A booster vaccine is a repeated dose given to boost the immune response against the bacteria or virus. Immunity against some bacterias and viruses can fade over time and further exposure to the vaccine is required to increase immunity to maintain strong protection for a longer time.

  • Why are changes made to the UK immunisation schedule?

    The immunisation schedule is continually monitored to ensure that the timing and type of vaccination is as beneficial to your child as possible. Improvements to the schedule may involve changing the recommended age a vaccine is given at, the number of doses required, or introducing a new vaccine combination. Following extensive research, trials and analysis, new vaccines will also be added to the schedule to increase the number of diseases that your child can be protected from.

    The most important thing to remember is that any change to the immunisation schedule is there to help keep your child as safe as possible, by protecting them from more diseases and ensuring a vaccine is as effective as possible.

  • Why does my child need to be vaccinated at specific times? Can I wait until they’re older?

    The immunisation schedule has been designed so that your child can be vaccinated as soon as possible, at a time when each vaccine will be the most effective.

    It is important to vaccinate your child at the age advised to make sure that they are protected from an early age. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable to disease and the longer you wait to vaccinate your child, the greater the possibility of them catching the disease and becoming ill.