Childhood routine vaccinations

Childhood vaccinations are an important way to protect your child against serious illness.

Vaccinations used in our NHS immunisation programmes are lifesaving, with millions of children worldwide receiving them safely.

Before introduction, each vaccine is subject to rigorous testing, which involves multiple phases of clinical trials to establish safety, quality, and efficacy before they can be authorised and licensed for public use. 

Extensive data from these trials is reviewed, ensuring that vaccines meet high standards for preventing disease and protecting public health. 

After introduction, independent public health agencies monitor to make sure of their ongoing effectiveness and safety.

Your child will get invited for their routine vaccinations at specific stages of their development. These are summarised on the routine immunisation schedule.

From 1 July 2025, the routine schedule was updated, with further changes from 1 January 2026. More information on the updates can be found on the Public Health Wales website.

The DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB vaccine, also known as the 6 in 1 vaccine, is a single jab. It provides effective protection against 6 serious diseases: 

• diphtheria
• tetanus
• whooping cough (pertussis)
• polio
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• hepatitis B 

Your baby will be offered the 6 in 1 vaccine as part of their first routine vaccinations, at:

• 8 weeks of age
• 12 weeks of age
• 16 weeks of age
• 18 months (from 1 January 2026)

Babies need all doses of this vaccine to be fully protected. Speak to your healthcare professional if your baby has missed any doses.

You can find more information about the vaccine and the diseases it protects against on the Public Health Wales website.

Rotavirus infection causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies and young children. The rotavirus vaccine protects your baby against infection. 

Your baby will be offered the rotavirus vaccine with their other vaccinations at:

• 8 weeks
• 12 weeks

Babies need 2 rotavirus vaccinations, 4 weeks apart, to be fully protected.

If your baby misses one of the vaccinations, they can have their first dose up to the age of 15 weeks and their second dose up to the age of 24 weeks. 

You can find more information about the rotavirus vaccine on the Public Health Wales website.

The MenB vaccine is the safest and most effective way to protect your baby against group B meningococcal bacteria. This can cause meningitis and sepsis, which are serious and potentially fatal illnesses. 

Your baby will be offered the MenB vaccine at:

• 8 weeks
• 12 weeks
• 12 to 13 months (booster)

Your baby will get an appointment for the MenB vaccination, along with their other routine immunisations. Babies need 3 doses of the MenB vaccine to be fully protected. Speak to your healthcare professional if your child has missed any doses.

You can find more information about MenB and the vaccine on the Public Health Wales website.

Pneumococcal infection is one of the most common causes of meningitis. It also causes ear infections, pneumonia and some other serious illnesses.

The PCV vaccine provides protection against pneumococcal infection.

As part of their routine vaccinations, your baby will be offered the PCV vaccine at:

• 16 weeks
• 12 to 13 months

Speak to your healthcare professional if your baby has missed any vaccine doses.

You can find more information about the PCV vaccine on the Public Health Wales website.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (MenC) infections can cause meningitis and sepsis. These are serious and potentially fatal diseases.

This vaccine used to be given to babies at their 12 month vaccine appointment. From 1 July 2025, the Hib/MenC vaccine is no longer given as part of the infant schedule, as the product is being discontinued by the manufacturer. 

The MenC part of the vaccine is not being replaced. This is because of the success of the MenACWY vaccine, given to teenagers, which helps protect against meningitis A, C, W and Y. It is therefore important for teenagers to be vaccinated to keep this protection.

Babies will still be offered the Hib vaccine, which will be given at 18 months as part of a new 6 in 1 vaccine appointment.

Speak to your healthcare professional if your baby has missed any vaccine doses.

You can find more information about Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (MenC) infections and the vaccines available on the Public Health Wales website.

From 1 January 2026, there will be changes to the MMR vaccine which is currently given at 12 months and 3 years 4 months. A new varicella vaccination will be introduced to protect babies and children from chickenpox. This will be combined with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine into a single MMRV vaccine.

The MMRV vaccine will protect against serious infections: measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox). They are common, infectious diseases that can have serious, potentially fatal, complications. 

The full course of MMRV vaccination requires 2 doses. To protect your child sooner these will be offered to your baby at: 

• 12 months
• 18 months

There have been recent outbreaks of measles and mumps in Wales. It's important to make sure you and your children are up-to-date with the vaccination.

If your child misses a dose, they can still have it at any age. If you are unsure if you or your child has had both doses of the vaccine, contact your GP practice as soon as possible. They can check your records and arrange for a catch-up vaccination if needed. More information about the upcoming changes to the MMR vaccine is available here: Routine varicella (chickenpox) vaccination for young children from 1 January 2026 (WHC/2025/046) [HTML] | GOV.WALES and on the Public Health Wales website.

The DTaP/IPV vaccine, also known as the 4 in 1 vaccine, helps protect against 4 separate diseases: 

• diphtheria
• tetanus
• pertussis (whooping cough)
• polio

The 4 in 1 vaccine is very effective at boosting the protection given from the 6 in 1 vaccination. It is offered to your child as a pre-school booster at:

• 3 years and 4 months

Speak to your healthcare professional if your child has missed any of their vaccine doses.

The 4 in 1 vaccine is also offered during pregnancy to help protect the baby from whooping cough. Speak to your midwife or healthcare professional for more information.

You can find more information about the 4 in 1 vaccine and the diseases it protects against on the Public Health Wales website.

Flu is a virus that can lead to serious illnesses and death. Anyone can get flu, but children have the highest rate of infection and flu can be serious for them. Each year, flu vaccines are changed to match the flu viruses circulating that year, so that people get the best protection.

Each year, the flu vaccination is offered to children aged 2 to 16. This includes: 

• all children who are aged 2 or 3 on 31 August each year
• all children in primary school

Also, children aged six months or over who have any of the long-term health conditions that puts them at increased risk from flu are eligible.

Flu vaccinations are given between September and March. If you think your child might have missed their vaccine, contact the school nurse or GP surgery.

If your child is not in school or is home educated, they can have their flu vaccine from their GP surgery when they are due.

More information about the flu vaccine is available on the Public Health Wales website.