Get your vaccinations
Vaccinations are one of the easiest ways to protect against preventable illnesses throughout your lifetime. Vaccines teach the immune system how to produce antibodies that protect you from diseases, which is much safer than your immune system trying to fight off the real thing.
Recent development of the Covid vaccine has triggered many questions around immunisation and unfortunately, much misinformation about the Covid vaccine and vaccinations more generally has spread within certain groups and on social media.
The fact remains all vaccines are rigorously tested to make sure they will not harm you or your child and continue to be monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) when in use.
You can find out more about why vaccines are so important here.
Although many vaccines are given in early childhood, there are others you can have throughout your life to protect against certain diseases which you may become more susceptible to at different periods.
Click below to learn more about each of the vaccines.
Vaccines for children
Babies are given three doses to protect against:
- diphtheria
- hepatitis B
- Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
- polio
- tetanus
- whooping cough
Babies are given two doses to protect against rotavirus, a highly infectious stomach bug that typically affects babies and young children, causing diarrhoea and vomiting, tummy ache and a high temperature.
Babies are given three doses to protect against infection by meningococcal group B bacteria. Meningococcal infections can be very serious, causing meningitis and sepsis.
Babies are given two doses to help protect against serious illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis.
The Hib/MenC vaccine is a single injection given to 1-year-old babies to boost their protection against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C.
Children are given two doses to protect against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles).
Children are offered a nasal spray flu vaccine every year to help protect them against flu.
The 4-in-1 pre-school booster vaccine is offered to children from the age of 3 years and 4 months to boost their protection against 4 different serious conditions:
- diphtheria
- tetanus
- whooping cough
- polio
All children aged 12 to 13 (school year 8) are offered the HPV vaccine to help protect against human papillomavirus, which is linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
The teenage booster, also known as the 3-in-1 or the Td/IPV vaccine, is given to boost protection against 3 separate diseases: tetanus, diphtheria and polio.
Children aged 13 to 15 (school Years 9 or 10) are routinely offered the MenACWY vaccine to protect against 4 strains of the meningococcal bacteria – A, C, W and Y – which cause meningitis and blood poisoning (septicaemia).
Students going to university for the first time should make sure they have had this and two doses of the MMR vaccine before starting.
Vaccines for adults
Adults aged over 65 are offered the flu vaccine every year to protect against flu. Other at risk groups can also get the flu vaccine for free.
People aged 65 are offered one dose to help protect against serious illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis.
People aged 65 are offered two doses of the shingles vaccine to help reduce your chances of getting shingles and reduce your chances of getting serious problems if you do get shingles.
Vaccines for pregnant women
Pregnant women are offered the flu vaccine every year to protect against flu. There is good evidence that pregnant women have a higher chance of developing complications if they get flu, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy.
Pregnant women are offered the whooping cough vaccine to protect their babies against whooping cough, as babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk.
Young babies with whooping cough are often very unwell and most will be admitted to hospital because of their illness. When whooping cough is particularly severe, they can die.
For more information on individuals vaccine and when to have them, click here.
For information relating to Covid19 and Flu vaccination, click here.
If you’re planning to travel outside the UK and need to be vaccinated for certain destinations, you can find out more here.