💉Childhood Vaccinations 💉

💉Childhood Vaccinations 💉

At 8 weeks
💉Your baby will have immunisations against:

diphtheria
tetanus
pertussis (whooping cough)
polio
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
hepatitis B
meningococcal group B disease (MenB)
rotavirus
These will be given as 2 injections (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB and MenB) and drops into the mouth (rotavirus).

At 12 weeks
💉Your baby will have immunisations against:
diphtheria
tetanus
pertussis (whooping cough)
polio
Hib
hepatitis B
pneumococcal disease
rotavirus
These will be given as 2 injections (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB and MenB) and drops into the mouth (rotavirus).

At 16 weeks
💉Your baby will have immunisations against:
diphtheria
tetanus
pertussis (whooping cough)
polio
Hib
hepatitis B
pneumococcal disease
These will be given as 2 injections (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB and PCV).

At one year
💉Your baby will be immunised against:
pneumococcal disease (their booster dose)
measles, mumps and rubella (their first dose)
meningococcal group B (Men 😎 (their booster dose)

These will be given as 3 injections (PCV, MMR and MenB).

Information about immunisation

Immunisation is a way of protecting against serious infectious diseases. Once we have been vaccinated, our bodies are better able to fight those diseases if we come into contact with them. Vaccination is a safe way to help to prevent the serious impact of these diseases in the community.

How vaccines work 💉

There are some infectious diseases that regularly cause children to suffer, and may also kill or cause long term damage to their health.

Vaccines are given to prepare your child’s immune system to fight off those diseases if they come into contact with them.

Vaccines contain a small amount of either a weakened form or a carefully chosen part of the germ (the virus or bacterium) that causes a disease. Vaccines work by causing the body’s immune system to develop cells that are programmed to remember the targeted infection.

If your child later comes into contact with the infection, these cells will recognise it and rapidly produce antibodies and other substances that fight off infection and help to protect them.

Because vaccines have been used so successfully in the UK, diseases such as diphtheria have almost disappeared from this country.

When your baby should be immunised

It is important that your baby has their vaccines at the right age – the first doses are given at 8 weeks old. They will be given further doses when they are 12 weeks old and 16 weeks old. Other vaccines are given at one year of age with more at 18 months and then at 3 years and 4 months of age, just before they start school.

Why babies are vaccinated so early

Many of these diseases can be particularly serious in young babies. It is important to make sure babies are protected as early as possible to prevent them catching these infections.

Why babies need more than one dose of vaccine

Most immunisations have to be given more than once to prepare your child’s immunity. For example, 4 doses of DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB vaccine are needed to provide protection in babies and young children.

💉Booster doses are then given later in life to provide longer-term protection.💉