Vaccines & immunisations

Vaccines and immunisations explained

Clear, referenced, NHS-first guides to vaccines — what each one protects against, who it is offered to, how it works and how safe it is. 40 vaccines and growing.

Adult

Pneumococcal VaccineThe pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumococcal bacteria, which can cause pneumonia… Shingles VaccineThe shingles vaccine protects older adults against shingles — a painful rash caused by the… Hepatitis B VaccineThe hepatitis B vaccine protects against a serious liver infection spread through blood an… RSV VaccineThe RSV vaccine protects against respiratory syncytial virus, a common cause of chest infe… Mpox VaccineThe mpox vaccine helps protect against mpox (formerly monkeypox), a viral infection causin… Vaccines for Older AdultsOlder adults are offered several vaccines — including flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal, shingle… Vaccines and a Weakened Immune SystemPeople with a weakened immune system may need extra vaccines and should usually avoid live… Vaccines for Healthcare WorkersHealthcare workers are offered vaccines such as hepatitis B, flu, COVID-19 and MMR to prot… Catch-Up VaccinationsIf you or your child have missed vaccines, it is usually possible to catch up — contact yo… Vaccines Without a SpleenPeople without a working spleen need extra vaccines — especially against pneumococcus, Hib…

Childhood

MMR VaccineThe MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella — three serious infections. It… HPV VaccineThe HPV vaccine protects against the human papillomavirus, which causes almost all cervica… Meningitis VaccinesMeningitis vaccines protect against bacteria that cause meningitis and blood poisoning (se… Tetanus VaccineThe tetanus vaccine protects against tetanus, a serious infection from bacteria in soil an… Childhood Immunisation ScheduleThe childhood immunisation schedule is the routine timetable of vaccines offered free to b… 6-in-1 VaccineThe 6-in-1 vaccine protects babies against six serious infections in a single injection, g… Rotavirus VaccineThe rotavirus vaccine protects babies against a common cause of severe diarrhoea and vomit… MenB VaccineThe MenB vaccine protects babies against meningococcal group B, a major cause of meningiti… MenACWY VaccineThe MenACWY vaccine protects against four groups of meningococcal bacteria that cause meni… Hib/MenC VaccineThe Hib/MenC vaccine is a booster given at around 1 year to protect against Haemophilus in… 4-in-1 Preschool BoosterThe 4-in-1 preschool booster tops up protection against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping coug… 3-in-1 Teenage BoosterThe 3-in-1 teenage booster tops up protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio, given… BCG VaccineThe BCG vaccine protects against tuberculosis (TB). In the UK it is offered to babies and … Chickenpox VaccineThe chickenpox vaccine protects against chickenpox (varicella). It is offered to certain g… Children’s Nasal Flu VaccineChildren are offered a yearly flu vaccine as a quick, painless nasal spray, protecting the… Polio VaccineThe polio vaccine protects against polio, a virus that can cause paralysis. In the UK it i… Diphtheria VaccineThe diphtheria vaccine protects against a serious bacterial infection of the throat and ai…

Pregnancy

Whooping Cough VaccineThe whooping cough vaccine protects against pertussis, a serious infection that is especia… Vaccines in PregnancySome vaccines are recommended in pregnancy — including whooping cough, flu, COVID-19 and R…

Seasonal

Flu VaccineThe flu vaccine protects against seasonal influenza, which can cause serious illness. It i… COVID-19 VaccineCOVID-19 vaccines protect against serious illness from coronavirus. Booster doses are offe…

Travel

Travel VaccinesTravel vaccines protect against infections more common in certain countries, such as typho… Hepatitis A VaccineThe hepatitis A vaccine protects against a liver infection spread through contaminated foo… Rabies VaccineThe rabies vaccine protects against rabies, a virus spread by animal bites that is almost … Typhoid VaccineThe typhoid vaccine protects against typhoid fever, a serious infection spread through con… Yellow Fever VaccineThe yellow fever vaccine protects against a serious viral infection spread by mosquitoes, … Cholera VaccineThe cholera vaccine protects against cholera, a serious diarrhoeal illness from contaminat… Japanese Encephalitis VaccineThe Japanese encephalitis vaccine protects against a mosquito-borne brain infection found … Tick-Borne Encephalitis VaccineThe TBE vaccine protects against a brain infection spread by tick bites in parts of Europe… Combined Hepatitis A and B VaccineA combined vaccine can protect against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B in one course, con…

See also

Conditions A–Z · Tests · Procedures · First aid · Healthy living · Medicines

How vaccination works

Why the timing and the repeats matter

A vaccine shows the immune system a harmless version or fragment of an organism — an inactivated virus, a purified protein, a sugar coat, or instructions for making one — so that immune memory forms without the illness. When the real organism arrives, the response is faster and stronger than it would otherwise have been.

That explains the two things people most often ask about. Repeat doses are not a sign the first one failed: several vaccines need a second exposure to build durable memory, and a few need periodic boosters because protection genuinely wanes. Timing in childhood follows the ages at which particular infections are most dangerous and at which a baby's own immune system can respond well — which is why the UK childhood immunisation schedule looks the way it does rather than being spread evenly.

High uptake also protects people who cannot be vaccinated or cannot respond to a vaccine — newborns, those on immunosuppressive treatment, some people with cancer. That indirect protection is the reason vaccination is framed as a community measure as well as a personal one.

Practical points

Side-effects, cautions and catching up

  • Ordinary reactions are common and short-lived. A sore arm, mild fever, tiredness or headache for a day or two reflects an immune response getting going. Serious reactions are rare, and vaccines are given in settings equipped to manage anaphylaxis.
  • Live vaccines need care in some people. Those that contain a weakened live organism are generally avoided during significant immunosuppression and in pregnancy. This is a question for your clinician about your specific situation, not a general rule you can apply yourself.
  • A minor illness is usually not a reason to delay. A cold without fever does not normally postpone a vaccination; a significant feverish illness may.
  • Missed doses can almost always be caught up. Falling behind the schedule does not mean starting again — ask your GP practice about a catch-up plan.
  • Travel needs lead time. Some travel vaccines need a course completed weeks before departure, so ask early rather than the week before.
  • Suspected side-effects can be reported. Anyone in the UK, including patients, can report through the Yellow Card scheme.

Reference only. Eligibility, intervals and which products are offered change as UK policy is updated. Check the current NHS schedule or ask your GP practice or pharmacist for advice about you or your child specifically.

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