Immunization schedule simplified

Simplified Immunization Schedule for Routine Childhood Vaccinations:

• At 8 weeks old: Administer 1 dose of combined diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB), 1 dose of rotavirus vaccine, and 1 dose of meningococcal group B vaccine (MenB).


• At 12 weeks old: Administer 1 dose of DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB, 1 dose of MenB, and 1 dose of rotavirus vaccine.


• At 16 weeks old: Give 1 dose of DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB and 1 dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).


• At 1 year old: Provide PCV booster, MenB booster, and the primary immunization with measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (MMRV).


• At 18 months old: One dose of DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB and MMRV booster, applicable for children born on or after 1 July 2024.


• Between 2 and 3 years old and annually for school-aged children (Reception to Year 11): Give live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) annually; if unsuitable and high risk, use inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV).


• At 3 years and 4 months old to under 6 years: Administer DTaP/IPV booster and, if needed, an MMRV booster for those without chickenpox history or varicella vaccination.


• At 12–13 years old: Offer human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.


• At 14 years old (Year 9): Provide diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis (Td/IPV) booster and 1 dose of meningococcal groups A, C, W, and Y (MenACWY) vaccine.

Children at high risk of pneumococcal disease, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, chickenpox, or influenza, and those who are close contacts of immunocompromised individuals, require additional immunization beyond this routine schedule NICE CKS.

This schedule aligns with the UK Childhood Immunization Programme recommendations NICE CKS, offering timely protection during infancy, early childhood, and adolescence, with vaccinations administered through primary care settings.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccination follows a primary series in infancy (commonly given at 8, 16 weeks and booster at 1 year) which may vary slightly according to vaccine products and special populations, such as preterm infants, in line with product-specific posology detailed in available summaries of product characteristics SmPC VAXNEUVANCE,SmPC Prevenar.

Vaccination delivery should use opportunistic contacts and reminders to improve uptake using patient-preferred communication methods to book appointments or attend clinics as recommended for general vaccine uptake NICE NG218.

Additional international evidence highlights that routine immunization schedules are widely standardized but that for children at risk, especially for pneumococcal disease, differentiated vaccination schedules with extra boosters or different vaccine formulations may be necessary, although these are relatively exceptional globally compared to routine schedules Daigle et al. 2025.