Childhood immunisation programme
Some infectious diseases can kill children or cause lasting damage to their health. Your child's immune system needs help to fight those diseases. Immunisation gives protection against some infectious diseases. Vaccines stimulate the body to produce antibodies that fight infection. Immunisation is also known as 'vaccination', 'jab' or 'injection'.
Why childhood immunisation is important
Immunisation prepares the body to fight serious infections that might happen in the future. Young babies are very vulnerable to infections, so they need to be protected as early as possible.
Your child needs several different vaccines to be fully protected, so it’s important to complete their childhood immunisation programme.
What can happen when a child isn’t immunised
Due to the high number of children receiving vaccinations in Northern Ireland over the past couple of decades, many serious childhood infectious diseases have disappeared altogether, like diphtheria, polio or tetanus or been dramatically reduced, such as measles and whooping cough.
In some countries it is more difficult to receive vaccines and as a result more people die from infectious diseases every year.
Unless vaccine uptake remains high in Northern Ireland, many of these serious infectious diseases will return from parts of the world where they still occur. If this happens, then children living in Northern Ireland that are not vaccinated will be at risk of these infections, their complications and even death.
Diseases with vaccination available
There are vaccines to protect children against:
- flu
- diphtheria (D)
- tetanus (T)
- pertussis (whooping cough, P)
- polio (IPV)
- haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- hepatitis B
- measles
- mumps
- rubella
- meningococcal disease (groups A, C, W and Y)
- meningococcal disease (group B)
- pneumococcal infection (PCV)
- human papillomavirus (HPV)
- rotavirus
How vaccines are given
Most vaccines are given to your baby or child as an injection. They get each rotavirus vaccine by the mouth. Most children will get the flu vaccine by nose unless it is not safe too.
When babies and children get the vaccination
The immunisation programme gives vaccines to babies and children at different ages. Routine immunisation for babies begins when they're two months old. Your child needs several vaccines to protect them from infections, so it’s important to complete their immunisation programme.
| Age immunisation is given | diseases protected against | how vaccine is given |
|---|---|---|
| Two months old | diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B (6 in 1) | one injection |
| rotavirus | orally | |
| meningococcal group B disease | one injection | |
| Three months old | diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B (6 in 1) | one injection |
rotavirus | orally | |
| pneumococcal disease | one injection | |
| Four months old | diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B (6 in 1) | one injection |
| meningococcal group B disease | one injection | |
| 12 to 13 months | haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and meningococcal group C | one injection |
| meningococcal group B disease | one injection | |
| measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) | one injection | |
| pneumococcal disease | one injection | |
| Annually from two years old | flu | nasal spray or injection |
| From three years and four months old | diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio | one injection |
| measles, mumps and rubella | one injection | |
| 12 to 13 year old girls | human papillomavirus (HPV) | two or three injections |
| 14 to 18 years old | diphtheria, tetanus and polio | one injection |
| meningitis (meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y) | one injection |
From September 2019 the HPV vaccine will be offered to 12 to 13 year old boys and girls
Some babies in high-risk groups get a BCG vaccine for protection against tuberculosis (TB) when they are born. Higher risk infants might also get extra vaccinations against hepatitis B.
Your doctor or health visitor will give you more information if your child needs protection.
Getting your child immunised
Before your child starts school, they usually get their vaccinations at your doctor's surgery or local health clinic. The Child Health system or the doctor’s surgery usually sends you the invitation to make a vaccination appointment.
Your child can get some vaccinations in school. The school will contact you before they give your child a vaccine.
If you have any questions, ask your health visitor, doctor, school nurse or a practice nurse in the doctor's surgery.