Vaccination is one of the most significant things you can do to protect your baby in their first year of life. The UK's immunisation programme is designed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a group of independent experts who review evidence continuously and update recommendations accordingly. Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 schedule, from the first jabs at eight weeks through to your baby's first birthday.
The timing of each vaccine is not arbitrary. It reflects two key considerations: when your baby's immune system is mature enough to mount a meaningful response, and when the risk from the disease is highest. Newborns have some protection from maternal antibodies passed through the placenta, but this wanes over the first weeks and months. The schedule is therefore front-loaded, beginning at eight weeks, to close that window of vulnerability as quickly as possible.
Giving multiple vaccines at the same visit — which can feel alarming to new parents — is safe and effective. Babies encounter thousands of antigens every day through the environment. The small number of antigens in vaccines is trivial by comparison, and giving them together does not overwhelm the immune system.
At your baby's first appointment, they will receive:
Paracetamol after MenB: The NHS recommends giving infant paracetamol (such as Calpol) after the 8-week and 16-week MenB jab to reduce the risk of fever. Your health visitor or GP will advise on the correct dose.
By their first birthday, babies receive several boosters and new vaccines:
Side effects are a sign that the immune system is responding, not a sign that something has gone wrong. The most common reactions include:
Serious reactions, such as anaphylaxis, are extremely rare (estimated at approximately 1 in a million doses). Clinics are equipped to manage these, and your baby will be observed for a short time after their jabs.
When to seek medical advice: If your baby has a fever above 39°C that does not respond to paracetamol, a rash that does not fade with a glass pressed against it (the "glass test"), becomes difficult to wake, or has a seizure, seek urgent medical help.
Parents sometimes ask why the rotavirus vaccine has a strict deadline. The oral rotavirus vaccine must be started before 15 weeks and completed before 24 weeks. This is because in rare cases, intussusception (a type of bowel blockage) can occur, and the risk increases if the vaccine is given later. If you miss the window, the vaccine cannot be given.
While not part of the under-1 schedule, it is worth knowing that babies aged 6 months and over are eligible for the annual flu vaccine (nasal spray, or injection if they have certain medical conditions). MenACWY is offered to teenagers rather than infants. Both programmes are worth discussing with your GP.
Every vaccination should be recorded in your child's Personal Child Health Record — the red book. Keep this safe, as it will be asked for at nursery, school, and sometimes for international travel. If you lose it, your GP surgery holds a digital record.
Herd immunity — the protection that a community gains when a high proportion of people are vaccinated — requires sustained high uptake. In the UK, 95% uptake is generally needed to interrupt the transmission of diseases like measles. Uptake has fallen in some areas in recent years. Your baby's vaccination not only protects them but also protects those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, including premature babies in their early weeks.
If you have concerns about any vaccine, your health visitor or GP is the right person to speak to. The NHS website also publishes the evidence summaries that underpin each recommendation.
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