We look at the immunisations and vaccinations schedule up to pre-school age. When are vaccinations offered and why? Read more below.
Parents are offered vaccinations [vax-in-ay-shuns] for their baby at different ages after birth. Vaccinations help the baby’s body fight disease (Gov.uk, 2025).
Vaccinations are also called immunisations [im-you-nize-ay-shuns], as they immunise (protect) the baby against diseases. Babies who are vaccinated have a lower risk of SIDS (Lullaby Trust, 2025).
Vaccinations are offered from 8 weeks old as the diseases can be very serious for young babies. However, if the vaccination is missed it can be done later (Gov.uk, 2025).
Premature babies are offered vaccinations on the same timetable as babies born at term, regardless of how premature they were. This is because they may be more at risk of serious disease (Gov.uk, 2025).
Read the government guidance on immunisation for premature babies.
Vaccinations offered to babies and young children from 1 Jan 2026 (Gov.uk, 2025; NHS 2023 c)
| Approximate age | Vaccination | Diseases protected against |
|---|---|---|
| From birth | Hep B | Only babies who are at higher risk (their parent has Hepatitis B) are given doses at birth and four weeks. They then move onto the routine schedule. |
| 4 weeks | BCG | Only offered to babies who are more likely to come into contact with someone with Tuberculosis. |
| 8 weeks (2 months) | ‘6-in-1 vaccine’ comprising: DTaP IPV Hib HepB |
Protects against life-threatening diseases: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Hepatitis B |
| Men B | Meningitis B | |
| Rotavirus | Rotavirus gastroenteritis, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea | |
| 12 weeks (3 months) | ‘6-in-1’ second dose | |
| MenB second dose | ||
| Rotavirus second dose | ||
| 16 weeks (4 months) | ‘6-in-1’ third dose | |
| Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) | 13 pneumococcal bacteria which can cause both serious and less serious infections | |
| One year | PCV second dose | |
| MMRV* | Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) | |
| Men B third dose | ||
| eg. Flu | Some children with underlying health conditions may be offered annual vaccinations such as flu | |
| 18 months | ‘6-in-1’ fourth dose | |
| MMRV second dose | ||
| 3 years and 4 months (Pre-school) | ‘4-in-1’ pre-school booster TdaP IPV |
Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis Polio |
Vaccines marked with a * contain gelatine from pigs. Ask the healthcare provider for an alternative if required.
Links to information leaflets about all vaccines are available on the Government website.
How do vaccinations work?
Vaccinations either contain a small part of a weakened form of the disease, or a carefully chosen part of the disease. The weakened form cannot pass the infection to other people (Gov.uk, 2025).
The vaccine makes the body’s immune system develop cells to remember the infection.
Then when the body next comes into contact with the infection, it can quickly produce antibodies to fight it off (Gov.uk, 2025).
Vaccinations are usually given more than once. There should be time in between doses, so the body can build up immunity (Gov.uk, 2025). For example, the ‘6-in-1’ (DTaP / IPV / Hib / HepB) vaccination is given four times.
When the mother or birthing person has a flu (influenza), pertussis (whooping cough) or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccination when pregnant, it protects them from severe disease which might affect the pregnancy. It also protects the baby from whooping cough and RSV in the early weeks and months (NHS, 2023 a).
How do I book a vaccination?
The GP surgery where the baby is registered will usually contact the parent when it is time to offer the vaccination. The parent can also contact the GP surgery themselves (NHS, 2023 b).
Vaccinations usually take place at the GP surgery or local child health clinic (NHS, 2023 b).
What about travel vaccinations?
If travelling abroad, the baby may need to be vaccinated against other diseases which aren’t common in the UK.
How safe are vaccinations?
Vaccinations are the only proven effective way to protect a baby against diseases. They protect both the individual and the community. This is important as some people cannot have vaccinations because of other health conditions (Gov.uk, 2025; RCPCH, 2020).
Many very serious illnesses are very rarely seen in the UK, and some have disappeared completely, due to the effectiveness of vaccinations (NHS, 2023 d).
All medicines, including vaccinations, are thoroughly tested before they are used for safety and effectiveness. Even after they are licensed, their safety continues to be monitored for rare side effects (Gov.uk, 2025).
It is usual for multiple vaccinations to be given at the same time. This does not overload the child’s immune system (Gov.uk, 2025).
What are the side effects of vaccination?
While every medicine has side effects, vaccines are among the safest. Side effects of vaccinations might include (Gov.uk, 2025):
- redness, swelling or tenderness where the injection was
- irritability
- feeling unwell
- fever
- mild diarrhoea (after the rotavirus vaccination)
Allergic reactions
It is rare for a baby or child to have an allergic reaction to a vaccination. If it happens, the doctor or nurse giving the vaccination will know what to do. This reaction might be (Gov.uk, 2025):
- a rash
- an itch
In fewer than one in a million cases, the baby or child might have a severe reaction, called anaphylaxis [an-a-fil-axis]. This needs urgent medical attention and the person giving the vaccination will know how to deal with it (Gov.uk, 2025).
Who cannot be immunised?
A child who had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to a previous vaccination should not have it again. If a child had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to a known ingredient of the vaccine, they also would not have it (Gov.uk, 2025).
Children who are immunosuppressed should not receive a live vaccine (Gov.uk, 2025).
What if the child is ill on the day of the appointment?
It’s usually fine for the baby or child to be vaccinated if they have a cold or mild illness with no fever. Let the nurse know if unsure (Gov.uk, 2025).
If they have a fever, rebook the appointment for another day when they’re feeling better (Gov.uk, 2025).
Tips for keeping stress low for parent and baby (NHS, 2023 e)
- Leave plenty of time to get to the appointment.
- Take the baby’s red book to the appointment.
- Dress the baby in clothes that are easy to remove. Babies under 12 months will have injections in the thigh and those over 12 months will have them in the upper arm.
- Hold onto the baby during the injection. If feeling anxious, slow breathing may help to feel more relaxed.
- Reduce their anxiety by talking to them in a soothing way. If they’re old enough, explain to them what will happen in simple words.
- Breastfeeding before and during vaccination is known to reduce pain and crying (Harrison et al, 2016).
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Gov.uk (2025) A guide to immunisation for babies up to 13 months of age: for children born on or after 1 January 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-guide-to-immunisations-for… [23 Dec 25]
Harrison D, Reszel J, Bueno M, Sampson M, Shah VS, Taddio A, Larocque C, Turner L (2016) Breastfeeding for procedural pain in infants beyond the neonatal period. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 10 , 1465-1858. https://doi.org//10.1002/14651858.CD011248.pub2
Lullaby Trust (2025) Vaccinations and SIDS. https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/baby-safety/infection-and-illness/vacci… [23 Dec 25]
NHS (2023 a) Vaccinations in pregnancy. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vaccinations/ [23 Dec 25]
NHS (2023 b) Booking your child’s vaccination appointment. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/booking-your-childs-vaccination-appoint… [23 Dec 25]
NHS (2023 c) NHS vaccinations and when to have them. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them/ [23 Dec 25]
NHS (2023 d) Why vaccination is important and the safest way to protect yourself. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-important-and-the-sa… [23 Dec 25]
NHS (2023 e) Vaccination tips for parents. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/vaccination-tips-for-parents/ [23 Dec 25]
RCPCH (2020) https://stateofchildhealth.rcpch.ac.uk/evidence/prevention-of-ill-healt… [23 Dec 25]
NHS. (2020) MMR Vaccine. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/mmr-vaccine/[ Accessed 24th March 2021].
Patient. (2018) Immunisations. Available at: https://patient.info/health/immunisation [Accessed 24th March 2021]
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Witkowska-Zimny, M., & Kaminska-El-Hassan, E. (2017). Cells of human breast milk. Cellular & molecular biology letters, 22, 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11658-017-0042-4 [Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5508878/]
