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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Health and wellbeing
    3. Living well
    4. Immunisation and vaccinations
    5. Childhood immunisation

    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.

    If you think you are not up-to-date with your MMR vaccines, speak to your GP or school nurse.

    Diseases with vaccination available

    There are vaccines to protect children against:

    • flu
    • diphtheria (D)
    • tetanus (T)
    • pertussis (whooping cough)
    • 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 olds human papillomavirus (HPV) one injection
    14 to 18 years old diphtheria, tetanus and polio one injection
      meningitis (meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y) one injection

    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.

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    Childhood immunisation

    • BCG vaccination for babies
    • Childhood immunisation programme
    • HPV vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 13 years old
    • Immunisation for babies aged 12 or 13 months
    • Immunisation for babies up to one year old
    • Immunisation for premature babies
    • Immunisation for preschool children
    • Immunisation for teenagers between 14 and 18 years old
    • Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
    • MenACWY vaccination for teenagers and students
    • Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination for babies

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