When to vaccinate your child

There's a recommended timetable for routine childhood vaccinations. This timetable has been worked out to give children the best chance of developing immunity against common, but potentially deadly, diseases.

When to start childhood vaccinations

Routine childhood vaccinations start when a baby is eight weeks old.

This is a good age to start vaccinations, because the natural immunity to illness that newborn babies get from their mother is beginning to wear off. If a vaccine is given before eight weeks of age, the baby’s natural immunity to disease may stop it from working.

That's why you should ideally have your child vaccinated at the recommended time. Any delay can leave your baby unprotected against illnesses that are often more common and worse in younger children.

Vaccinations for premature babies

Babies who are born early can have a greater risk of catching infections than babies born on time. This is because their immune systems are less developed and they don’t receive as much natural immunity from their mothers.

It’s especially important that premature babies get their vaccines on time, from eight weeks after birth, no matter how premature they are.

It may seem very early to give a vaccination to such a tiny baby, but many scientific studies have shown that it’s a good time to give them vaccines. Postponing vaccination until they're older leaves them vulnerable to diseases.

If your baby was born very prematurely (before 26 weeks of pregnancy), they may still be in hospital when their first vaccinations are due. In this case, your baby will receive their first vaccines in hospital.

Read this NHS leaflet on vaccinations for premature babies (PDF, 221kb).

Booster jabs

Some vaccines are given more than once. A gap is left between these vaccine doses to make sure that each one has time to work properly.

However, the recommended gap is only a minimum. If the gap is longer – because you missed an appointment, for example – you don’t have to start the course again.

Vaccination timings

The NHS childhood vaccination schedule tells you when each routine vaccination should be given. It normally starts when your baby is eight weeks old and is completed by the time they're 18.

Other non-routine vaccines may be needed throughout childhood, such as travel vaccines or vaccines for children with certain medical conditions.