Vaccinations

Here's a checklist of the vaccines that are routinely offered to everyone in the UK free of charge on the NHS and the ages at which they should ideally be given.

If you're not sure whether you or your child have had all your routine vaccinations, ask your GP or practice nurse to find out for you. It may be possible to catch up later in life.

Try to have your vaccinations delivered on time to ensure protection. If you're not going to be able to get to the GP surgery when a vaccination is due, talk to your doctor, as it may be possible to arrange to have the vaccination at a different location.

8 weeks

6-in-1 vaccine, given as a single jab containing vaccines to protect against six separate diseases: diphtheria; tetanus; whooping cough (pertussis); polio; Haemophilus influenzae type b, known as Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children; and hepatitis B 

Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine

Rotavirus vaccine

MenB vaccine

12 weeks

6-in-1 vaccine, second dose

Rotavirus vaccine, second dose

16 weeks

6-in-1 vaccine, third dose

Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine, second dose

MenB vaccine second dose

1 year

Hib/MenC vaccine, given as a single jab containing vaccines against meningitis C (first dose) and Hib (fourth dose)

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, given as a single jab

Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine, third dose

MenB vaccine, third dose

2 to 9 years (including children in reception class and school years 1 to 5)

Children's flu vaccine (annual)

3 years and 4 months

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, second dose

4-in-1 pre-school booster, given as a single jab containing vaccines against: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) and polio

12-13 years (girls only)

HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer – two injections given 6-12 months apart

14 years

3-in-1 teenage booster, given as a single jab containing vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and polio

MenACWY vaccine, given as a single jab containing vaccines against meningitis A, C, W and Y

65 years

Pneumococcal (PPV) vaccine

65 and over

Flu vaccine (every year)

70 years (and 78 and 79-year-olds as a catch-up)

Shingles vaccine

Vaccines for special groups

There are some vaccines that aren't routinely available to everyone on the NHS but are available for people who fall into certain risk groups, such as vaccines for healthcare workers, pregnant women and people with long-term health conditions.

Additional vaccines for special groups include:

• flu jab for pregnant women
• whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women
• flu vaccine for people with long-term health conditions
• hepatitis B vaccination 
• TB vaccination
• chickenpox vaccination
• MenACWY for first-time university entrants

Travel vaccines

There are some travel vaccines that you should be able to have free on the NHS from your local surgery. These include:

• hepatitis A vaccine
• typhoid vaccine 
• cholera vaccine

Other travel vaccines, such as yellow fever vaccination, are only available privately. 

Find out more from our section on travel vaccines.