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Changes to the childhood vaccination programme: why they are happening

Published 16 June 2025

Why the infant vaccinations are being offered at different times

The infant vaccination schedule is being evaluated constantly to give infants the best protection when they need it. Successful vaccination programmes result in better control of infectious diseases and reduction in the numbers of children becoming unwell and needing hospital treatment.

Why your child will be offered their 8 and 12 week vaccines at different times

The meningococcal B vaccine, previously offered at 8 and 16 weeks of age, will now be offered at 8 and 12 weeks.

Meningococcal serogroup B causes the majority of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) cases in the UK. Following the introduction of the routine meningococcal B vaccination programme in 2015, the peak age of infection has shifted from 5 to 6 months to 1 to 3 months of age, with a large proportion of cases occurring before infants have gained protection from the second dose of vaccine (which was previously scheduled at 16 weeks).

Because of the changing epidemiology  of IMD, the JCVI agreed that it would be beneficial to move the second dose of MenB vaccine to 12 weeks of age to provide earlier protection. Recent evidence shows that when 2 doses of MenB vaccine are given 4 weeks apart at 8 and 12 weeks of age this provides good protection.

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) previously offered at 12 weeks of age is now offered at 16 weeks of age.

To avoid increasing the number of injections needed at the second vaccination appointment at 12 weeks, the first dose of PCV13 vaccine will be moved to the third vaccination appointment at 16 weeks.

Although the first dose of PCV13 will be delayed by 4 weeks, the amount of PCV disease due to the 13 serotypes in the vaccine is very low in young children because of the excellent herd protection provided by the previous 1+1 dose PCV13 routine vaccination programme.

For more information on the vaccines offered to your baby up to 13 months of age go to Immunisation for babies up to 13 months of age.

Why your child will not be offered a Hib/Men C vaccine when they are one year old

Group B meningococcal bacteria (MenB) are currently responsible for most cases of meningococcal disease in the UK, which is why babies are offered their course of Men B vaccine at 8, 12 weeks and at one year of age, on or after their birthday. Meningococcal group C (MenC) disease is now uncommon because most young children and teenagers are routinely vaccinated against MenC. They are given a vaccine in secondary school at 14 years of age to protect them from types A, C W and Y.

For more information on the vaccines offered to your child at one year of age, go to Immunisations at one year of age.

New 18 month vaccinations to help protect infants

The JCVI advised that all babies born on or after 1 July 2024 will be offered an important dose of hexavalent vaccine to boost the protection they received in their first year of life. This is because infants need an additional dose of Hib to prevent them passing on this infection and to maintain herd protection for babies too young to have their first vaccines.

They will also be offered the second dose of MMR vaccine to give them the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella. Any children who have missed this second dose of MMR can have it  at their pre-school vaccinations, at the same time as their 4 in 1 booster.

This change is expected to improve MMR vaccine uptake (as has been demonstrated in a number of London boroughs where this change has already been made) and better uptake will reduce the likelihood of measles outbreaks.

For more information on the vaccines offered to your child at 18 months, go to Vaccinations for children aged 18 months.

Routine childhood immunisations

View the complete childhood immunisation schedule on .GOV.UK.