What vaccines are children recommended to have and when?

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From 8 weeks until 14 years old, the NHS recommends a fig of vaccines for children and teenagers.

The health service says immunisations are the champion defence against perchance superior illnesses, and it is important they are fixed astatine the close time.

Here are each the vaccinations children are recommended to have, astatine what property and what they support against.

Babies nether 1 twelvemonth old

At eight weeks, babies are recommended to person the pursuing jabs:

• 6-in-1 vaccine
• Rotavirus vaccine
• MenB vaccine

The 6-in-1 vaccine protects against the pursuing illnesses:

• Diphtheria - a contagious corruption that affects the chemoreceptor and throat, and sometimes the skin;
• Hepatitis B - a liver corruption that is dispersed done blood, semen and vaginal fluids;
• Haemophilus influenzae benignant b (known arsenic Hib) - a benignant of bacteria that tin origin life-threatening infections;
• Polio - a microorganism that spreads easy from idiosyncratic to idiosyncratic and tin origin symptoms that impact the encephalon and tense system;
• Tetanus - a life-threatening information caused by bacteria getting into a wound;
• Whooping cough - an corruption of the lungs and breathing tubes that spreads easily.

The rotavirus vaccine helps support against rotavirus, a communal origin of diarrhoea and vomiting that tin beryllium precise communal successful children and young babies.

The MenB vaccine tin support against a bacteria known arsenic meningococcal radical B that tin origin superior illnesses, including meningitis and sepsis.

A 2nd dose of each 3 of the supra is administered again astatine 12 weeks old.

When a babe reaches 16 weeks, the NHS recommends a third dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine, arsenic good arsenic the Pneumococcal vaccine.

This helps support against superior illnesses like:

• Meningitis - an corruption successful the encephalon and spinal cord;
• Sepsis - a life-threatening absorption to an infection;
• Pneumonia - an corruption successful the lungs.

Children aged 1 to three

At one year, the NHS recommends babies person their archetypal MMR vaccine.

This gives semipermanent extortion against:

• Measles - an corruption that causes a rash and flu-like symptoms;
• Mumps - an corruption that causes achy swelling connected the cheeks and neck;
• Rubella - often referred to arsenic German measles, and tin origin a rash implicit the body.

As of January 2026, babies aged betwixt 12 and 18 months volition besides get the varicella vaccine, which protects against chickenpox.

The varicella vaccination volition beryllium combined with the MMR vaccine, making it the MMRV.

Chickenpox corruption

Image: Chickenpox corruption

The vaccine provides astir 98% extortion successful children and astir 75% extortion successful adults aft 2 doses, and is expected to support astir 500,000 babies each twelvemonth erstwhile rolled retired by the NHS.

The wellness work besides recommends children having the pursuing vaccines astatine the age of one:

• A 2nd dose of the Pneumococcal vaccine;
• A 3rd dose of the MenB vaccine.

For babies calved before 30 June 2024, the NHS recommends a Hib/MenC vaccine astatine the age of one. This protects against hib and meningitis C.

Due to the Hib/MenC vaccine being discontinued, erstwhile babies born aft 1 July 2024 scope 18 months old, they are offered:

• A 4th dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine;
• A second MMR vaccine.

When bash adults request vaccines?

Like babies and children of a definite age, those aged 65 and implicit are besides recommended vaccinations.

The NHS offers the flu vaccine each twelvemonth to those implicit 65.

The shingles vaccine is besides offered to those who turned 65 connected oregon aft 1 September 2023, and to those aged 70-79.

For 75 to 79 -year-olds, the RSV vaccine is recommended. This helps support against respiratory syncytial virus, which tin origin pneumonia and bronchiolitis successful older oregon younger people.

People aged 75 and implicit are besides offered the COVID-19 vaccine. Typically, vaccines against coronavirus are offered successful the outpouring and winter.

At the age of two, the NHS recommends:

• A flu vaccine.

It says flu tin dispersed easy among children, and vaccinating them helps support others who are astatine higher hazard of getting earnestly ill.

It is offered again to:

• Children aged three;
• School children from reception to twelvemonth 11;
• From the property of six months to 17 years to those with definite semipermanent wellness conditions.

At three years and 4 months old, a second dose of MMR is recommended for children calved connected oregon before 30 June 2024.

The 4-in-1 schoolhouse booster vaccine is besides offered.

This helps support against diphtheria, polio, whooping cough and tetanus and is fixed to children earlier they commencement school.

 iStock

Image: File pic: iStock

Teenagers aged 12-14

From 12 to 13, teenagers are offered the HPV vaccine, which helps support against quality papillomavirus, a communal microorganism that's dispersed done tegument contact.

Girls nether 25 and boys calved aft 1 September 2006 who missed having the vaccine astatine schoolhouse tin besides get the vaccine done their GP.

Pregnant? You could besides request vaccinations

The NHS recommends the pursuing to those who are pregnant:

• A flu vaccine during flu play (October to March successful the UK)

• A whooping cough vaccine astatine 20 weeks pregnant

• An RSV vaccine astatine 28 weeks pregnant

At 14 years old, the NHS recommends the following:

• Td/IPV vaccine (3-in-1 teenage booster) - this helps support against tetanus, diphtheria and polio. It's recommended for children successful twelvemonth 9 astatine school, and those astatine higher hazard of the illnesses;
• MenACWY vaccine - this helps support against meningitis and sepsis.

While babies are fixed the MenB vaccine to assistance support against a communal benignant of bacteria that causes meningitis, the MenACWY vaccine helps support against 4 different types of bacteria linked to the virus.

Read more:
Child vaccine rates lowest successful much than a decade
MMR uptake hits 15-year low

Missed a vaccination?

The NHS says to interaction your GP if you deliberation you oregon your kid has missed immoderate vaccinations.

Most immunisations tin beryllium taken aft the recommended age.

Some babies and children whitethorn besides necessitate further vaccines if they are astatine hazard of a peculiar unwellness oregon person an underlying wellness condition.

Those that person had a superior allergic absorption to immoderate vaccination oregon are allergic to immoderate of the ingredients volition not person it.

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