This table summarises the UK's complete routine immunisation schedule, from September 2023:
When | Diseases protected against | Vaccine given | Trade name | Usual site |
8 weeks old | 6-in-1: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB | Infanrix hexa or Vaxelis | Thigh |
Meningococcal group B (MenB) | MenB | Bexsero | Left thigh | |
Rotavirus gastroenteritis | Rotavirus | Rotarix | By mouth | |
12 weeks old | 6-in-1 | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB | Infanrix hexa or Vaxelis | Thigh |
Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) | Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) | Prevenar 13 | Thigh | |
Rotavirus | Rotavirus | Rotarix | By mouth | |
16 weeks old | 6-in-1 | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB | Infanrix hexa or Vaxelis | Thigh |
MenB | MenB | Bexsero | Left thigh | |
1 years old (on or after the child’s first birthday) | Hib and Meningococcal group C (MenC) | Hib/MenC | Menitorix | Upper arm or thigh |
Pneumococcal | PCV booster | Prevenar 13 | Upper arm or thigh | |
Measles, mumps and rubella | MMR | MMRvaxProor Priorix | Upper arm or thigh | |
MenB | MenB booster | Bexsero | Left thigh | |
Eligible paediatric age group | Influenza (each year from September) | Live attenuated influenza vaccine LAIV | Fluenz Tetra | Both nostrils |
3 years 4 months old or soon after | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio | dTaP/IPV | Boostrix-IPV | Upper arm |
Measles, mumps and rubella | MMR (check first dose given) | MMRvaxPro or Priorix | Upper arm | |
Boys and girls aged 12 to 13 years | Cancers and genital warts caused by specific human papillomavirus (HPV) types | HPV | Gardasil 9 | Upper arm |
14 years old (school Year 9) | Tetanus, diphtheria and polio | Td/IPV (check MMRstatus) | Revaxis | Upper arm |
Meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y | MenACWY | Nimenrix | Upper arm | |
65 years old | Pneumococcal (23 serotypes) | Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) | Pneumovax 23 | Upper arm |
65 years of age and older | Influenza (each year from September) | Inactivated influenza vaccine | Multiple | Upper arm |
65 from September 2023 | Shingles | Shingles vaccine | Shingrix | Upper arm |
70 to 79 years of age (plus eligible age groups and severely immunosuppressed) | Shingles | Shingles vaccine | Zostavax (or Shingrix if Zostavax contraindicated) | Upper arm |
🚨 Complications
Common side effects
Vaccinations are generally very safe and effective. Any vaccination can cause side effects from a local and systemic immune response:
- Locally: there may be tenderness and aches around the injection site
- Systemically: the patient may have a fever and feel unwell for a few hours
- Fever is particularly common with the meningococcal vaccine; parents should be asked to give prophylactic paracetamol to their child and warned that a fever is very likely. This will help to reduce unnecessary worry, A&E attendance and unnecessary investigations.
Rare side effects of vaccinations
- Anaphylaxis
- Rotavirus vaccination can rarely cause intussusception
- The MMR vaccine can cause seizures (1/1000 doses) and ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) (1/24,000 doses).
Contraindications to vaccinations
- Egg allergy
- Children with egg allergy should not receive yellow fever vaccination.
- The standard preparation of the influenza vaccine is only contraindicated in children who have been admitted to PICU as a result of their egg allergy. All other cases of children with egg allergy can safely have the standard vaccine in primary care settings.
- The MMR vaccine is safe for children with an egg allergy. It is a common misconception that it contains components from eggs.
- Previous proven anaphylaxis to vaccine components - children with serology confirming allergy to vaccine components should not receive further doses of that particular vaccine.
- Immunosuppression - children with immunosuppression (e.g. from confirmed severe primary immunodeficiencies, chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive medications, or radiotherapy) should not receive live attenuated vaccines such as the MMR vaccine, inhaled influenza vaccine or the varicella vaccine.
- Intussusception - children with a history of intussusception cannot have the rotavirus vaccination