Menu
Immunisation and vaccination
Vaccination helps prevent you, your family, and others from becoming unwell.
If you’re not sure about you or your child’s vaccine status your GP surgery can advise or you may also be able to view via the NHS app.
Vaccines:
- Protect you and your child: Help prevent serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.
- Safeguard your community: Reduce the spread of diseases, protecting those who can’t be vaccinated, like newborns and people with certain health conditions.
- Are thoroughly tested for safety: Vaccines go through rigorous testing before use and are continuously monitored for side effects.
- Help eliminate diseases: Widespread vaccination can reduce or even eradicate certain illnesses.
- May give you mild, short-term side effects: Some may experience mild symptoms like a sore arm or feeling unwell for a couple of days.
Flu vaccine this winter
The flu vaccine is offered on the NHS every year in winter to help protect people at risk of flu complications.
If you or someone in your family are eligible for a free flu vaccine, check out eligibilty and advice on the NHS website here
The flu vaccine is available to:
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years old (on 31 August 2024)
- all primary and secondary school-aged children (from Reception to Year 11)
- those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
- those aged 65 years and over
- people living in long-stay residential care homes or nursing homes, other long-stay health or social care facilities or a house-bound patient.
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- locum GPs
- social care staff without an employer-led occupational health scheme can also access the flu vaccination through their GP, or community pharmacy
Find more on symptoms and how to treat flu here: Flu – NHS
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
RSV is a very common virus and causes hundreds of thousands of infections across the UK each winter.
The NHS offers a vaccine for RSV, a common cause of coughs and colds which can be dangerous to older people and young children.
The jab is given to people:
- aged 75 to 79 (your GP will send an RSV vaccination invite)
- pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect their babies (speak to your maternity service or GP surgery about the vaccine)
If invited for an RSV vaccine, book now and protect yourself and your baby.
Find out more here: RSV vaccine – NHS or view the videos below.
MMR vaccine vaccine
Did you know that two doses of the MMR vaccine give excellent lifelong protection?
The MMR vaccine helps prevent against Measles, Mumps and Rubella.
If you or your child have missed out, contact your GP surgery to book. Your GP will offer your child one vaccine dose when they are a year old and another at 3 years, 4 months. Both doses are needed to be fully protected.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough (pertussis) is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes.
It spreads very easily and can be serious.
The whooping cough vaccine is given to:
- The 6-in-1 vaccine – for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks
- The 4-in-1 pre-school booster – for children aged 3 years 4 months
- Pregnant women at around 20 weeks – to help protect your baby for the first few weeks of their life.
Speak to your GP surgery or midwife if you’re 20 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the whooping cough vaccine.
School age vaccines
Children and young people are offered routine vaccines at school, but if they missed these for any reason speak to your GP surgery to arrange a catch-up vaccine. You can also catch up with these vaccines as an adult if you missed out. Your GP surgery will be able to advise
Routine vaccines include:
- Td/IVP: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio
- Men ACWY: Meningitis and septicaemia
- HPV: Human papillomavirus
- MMR: Measles Mumps and Rubella
- Dtap: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)
Shingles
Shingles is a common condition that causes a painful rash and can sometimes lead to more serious problems. Being vaccinated reduces the chance of catching shingles and if you do catch it, reduces the possibility of more serious problems developing.
The shingles vaccine is recommended for:
- anyone aged 50+ with a severely weakened immune system
- anyone turning 65 on or after September 2023
- anyone aged 70 to 79
More information, including a handy eligibilty calculator can be found here: getshinglesready.co.uk
MPox
Mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain and low energy.
There have been a small number of cases of mpox in the UK since 2022. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
More information about mpox and vaccination can be found here: Mpox – NHS
Mpox can spread through:
- direct contact with rash, skin lesions or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact)
- contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, snot or mucous
contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) or other objects and surfaces used by someone with mpox
Pneumococcal vaccination
The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis. It’s recommended for people at higher risk of these illnesses, such as babies and adults aged 65 and over.
The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against some types of bacterial infections that can cause serious illnesses, including:
- meningitis(an infection in the brain and spinal cord)
- sepsis(a life-threatening reaction to an infection)
- pneumonia(an infection in the lungs)
The pneumococcal vaccine can only been given by a healthcare professional at your GP surgery. They will usually contact you if you or your child are eligible for the pneumococcal vaccine.
You are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from pneumococcal infections if you have:
- a long-term condition that affects your breathing such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis
- a long-term condition that affects your heart such as coronary heart disease or heart failure
- chronic kidney disease
- a long-term condition that affects your liver such as cirrhosis
- diabetes
- a weakened immune system due to a condition such as HIV, or a treatment such as steroid medicine or chemotherapy
- a condition where fluid that protects the brain and spinal cord leaks out (cerebrospinal fluid leaks)
- sickle cell disease, problems with your spleen or you have had your spleen removed
- cochlear implants
Read more: Pneumococcal vaccine – NHS
Covid-19 vaccine
The seasonal Covid-19 vaccine winter booster offer has now ended.
People eligible for the Spring 2025 booster will be contacted by the NHS soon.
People newly diagnosed as immunosuppressed or who fit eligibilty criteria, please contact your GP or hospital specialist to request vaccination outside the seasonal programme.
Useful links
- More about routine vaccinations: Immunisation and vaccination
- Read more: COVID-19 services – NHS
- Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation guidance: COVID-19 Greenbook chapter 14a
