Childhood Immunisations
If a vaccine is given when a baby still has antibodies to the disease, the antibodies can stop the vaccine working. This is why routine childhood immunisations do not start until a baby is two months old, before the antibodies a baby gets from its mother have stopped working. This is also why it is important for parents to stick to the immunisation schedule, as a delay can leave a baby unprotected. A delay can increase the chance of adverse reactions to some vaccines, such as pertussis (whooping cough).
Vaccination Schedule
| Age due | Vaccine given |
| Eight weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) Meningococcal B (MenB) Rotavirus |
| Twelve weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio Hib and hepatitis B (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) Rotavirus Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) |
| Sixteen weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio Hib and hepatitis B (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) Meningococcal B (MenB) |
| One year old (on or after the child’s first birthday) | Hib/MenC Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) Meningococcal B (MenB) Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) |
| Three years four months old or soon after | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (dTaP/IPV) Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) |
