Baby Vaccinations UK: The Complete Schedule, What to Expect, and Managing Side Effects

Vaccinations are one of the most effective health interventions available — protecting your baby against diseases that killed or seriously disabled children in previous generations. Here's everything you need to know about the UK schedule.

The UK NHS vaccination schedule (birth to 12 months)

8 weeks

6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB): One injection protecting against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), and hepatitis B.

Rotavirus vaccine: Oral drops — two drops in the mouth. Protects against rotavirus, the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in babies.

MenB (Bexsero): One injection protecting against meningococcal B — a major cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK.

12 weeks

6-in-1 (second dose)

Rotavirus (second dose)

PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine): One injection protecting against pneumococcal bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and septicaemia.

16 weeks

6-in-1 (third dose)

MenB (second dose)

12–13 months (on or just after first birthday)

Hib/MenC: One injection protecting against Hib (booster) and meningococcal C.

MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella): One injection. Given in two doses in childhood (second at 3 years 4 months).

PCV (booster)

MenB (booster)

Annual

Flu vaccine: Nasal spray, given annually from 2 years (some areas offer from 6 months for at-risk children).

What happens at a vaccination appointment

Vaccinations are given by a practice nurse at your GP surgery. You'll receive an invitation letter when each set is due — if you haven't heard anything by 8 weeks, contact your surgery.

The appointment:

Nurse checks baby's health and any concerns
Multiple vaccines may be given in the same appointment, often in both thighs simultaneously to minimise total distress
Baby will cry — injections hurt briefly. Comfort immediately: feed, cuddle, skin-to-skin
You'll usually be asked to wait 15 minutes after in case of immediate reaction (rare)

Bring:

Your red book (Personal Child Health Record)
A comforter, dummy, or ability to breastfeed immediately after

Common side effects — what's normal

Side effects are a sign the immune system is responding. They're common and usually mild.

For the 6-in-1 and other injections:

Sore, red, or swollen at the injection site — normal for 24–48 hours; a cold compress can help
Fussiness and crying — normal for 24 hours
Mild fever — particularly common with MenB at 8 and 16 weeks
Poor feeding — may feed less for 12–24 hours

For MenB specifically (8 and 16 weeks): The MenB vaccine causes a higher rate of fever than other vaccines. The NHS and NICE recommend giving paracetamol (Calpol) after the 8-week and 16-week MenB doses — not to wait for a fever to develop but as a preventive measure.

Dose: 2.5ml of infant paracetamol at the time of vaccination, then two further doses 4–6 hours apart. Have liquid paracetamol at home before the 8-week appointment.

For MMR (12 months):

7–10 days after vaccination, some babies develop a mild measles-like rash, runny nose, and low fever — this is normal
More rarely, mild mumps-like swelling 3 weeks after. Both are normal immune responses; neither is infectious.

What's NOT normal — seek medical advice if:

Fever above 39°C that doesn't respond to paracetamol
High-pitched, unusual crying that's inconsolable for more than 3 hours
Limpness or unresponsiveness
Swelling beyond the injection site spreading significantly
Rash not related to the expected post-MMR rash — particularly a non-blanching rash (see glass test)
You're worried for any reason — call 111

Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction to a vaccine) is extremely rare — estimated at 1 in 1 million doses. This is why you're asked to wait 15 minutes after vaccination. Symptoms occur within minutes: difficulty breathing, dramatic swelling of face/throat, pallor, collapse. The practice has protocols for this.

Common concerns — answered

"My baby is unwell — can they still be vaccinated?" A mild cold or runny nose is NOT a reason to delay. If baby has a fever (38°C+) or is significantly unwell, rearrange. A short delay doesn't affect long-term protection, but try to reschedule soon.

"Can so many vaccines at once overwhelm the immune system?" No — the immune system handles thousands of antigens daily. The vaccines given at 8, 12, and 16 weeks contain far fewer antigens than a child encounters in a typical day of normal life. The schedule is designed to protect as early as possible against serious diseases.

"What if we delay or spread out the vaccines?" Departing from the recommended schedule means babies are unprotected against serious diseases for longer than necessary. There is no scientific benefit to spacing vaccines out and significant risk in delaying protection.

"Can the MMR cause autism?" No. The 1998 paper making this claim was fraudulent and has been fully retracted. Multiple large studies across millions of children have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The researcher behind the original paper lost his medical licence. This is settled science.

Vaccinations and breastfeeding

Breastfeeding during or immediately after an injection reduces pain — a Cochrane review found that breastfed babies during vaccinations show less pain response. If you're breastfeeding, offer the breast immediately after.

Checking vaccination records

Your baby's vaccinations should be recorded in the red book at every appointment. If there's any doubt about what vaccines have been given, your GP practice also holds records.