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.
If your child is due for immunisations then you should receive an invitation from the Immunisations Service. if you have received no such invitation but feel that your child is due then please contact the surgery. The Practice Nurse will be holding immunisation clinics on the second Monday and fourth Wednesday of every month.
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.
2 months:
- Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children) given as a 6-in-1 single jab known as DTaP/IPV/Hib/Hep B
- Pneumococcal injection
- 1st Rotavirus injection
- 1st Meningitis B injection
3 months:
- 6in-1, second dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB)
- 2nd Rotavirus Injection
4 months:
- 6-in-1, third dose (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB)
- Pneumococcal infection, second dose
- Meningitis B, second dose
Between 12 and 13 months:
- 1st Meningitis C
- 3rd Meningitis B
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), given as a single jab
- Pneumococcal infection, 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 (girls only): three jabs given within six months
Around 13-18 years:
- Diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster (Td/IPV), given as a single jab
- Meningitis ACW&Y
65 and over:
- Flu (every year)
- Pneumococcal
70 and over:
- Shingles
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, extra COVID vaccines and chickenpox, however not all of these vaccines are available in the surgery and you may need to go to a private travel clinic for these immunisations (similar to certain travel vaccinations such as Yellow Fever).
Please contact the surgery for further advice. See the NHS Choices pages on vaccines for adults to find out whether you should have one.
Read more about vaccines for kids on the NHS Choices website.