Childhood and Adult Immunisations

Childhood Immunisations

As a parent, you may not like seeing your baby or child being given an injection, but vaccination will help protect them against a range of serious and potentially fatal diseases.

There are 3 good reasons to have your child vaccinated:

• Vaccinations are quick, safe and extremely effective
• Once your child has been vaccinated against a disease, their body can fight it off better
• If a child is not vaccinated, they're at higher risk of catching and becoming very ill from the illness

There will always be some children who are unprotected because:

• They cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons
• They’re too young to be vaccinated
• The vaccine does not work (although this is rare)

But if more parents have their children vaccinated, more children in the community will be protected against an illness, such as a measles outbreak.

Why are vaccines important?

Vaccines have been around for a long time and have been saving lives in the UK for decades. They undergo rigorous research, safety testing and monitoring to make sure they are safe for you and your family.

As a parent or carer, you’ll know how easily germs can spread among children and how difficult it can be to avoid this from happening. Vaccination helps provide peace of mind that your child is protected from many serious and potentially deadly diseases.

When you take your child for their vaccines, you’re not only protecting them but you’re also helping to keep other people you care about safe too.

They help stop dangerous diseases from spreading in local communities. So, by keeping up to date with your child’s vaccines, you can also help keep those who are most vulnerable safe, including babies, people living with certain health conditions and older people.

Watch the 'Let's Talk About Childhood Immunisations' video.

What vaccinations does my child need?

NHS routine childhood vaccinations are free. Staying up to date with your child’s vaccinations throughout their childhood will provide them with the best protection against deadly diseases. Find out which vaccinations your child needs and when on the NHS website. 

Where to go for trusted information?

It’s okay to have questions about whether vaccination is the right decision for your child. 

But it is important to be mindful about where you receive your information from. Anti-vaccine stories and false information can often be spread online through social media or through word of mouth.

Always get your vaccine and health information from trusted sources, such as the NHS or the World Health Organisation (WHO). You can also speak to your GP or health visitor for advice about what vaccines are right for you and your family.

Vaccination information you see on social media may not be based on scientific evidence. All the current evidence tells us that getting vaccinated is safer than not getting vaccinated.

Frequently Asked Questions

BCG Vaccination

BCG vaccine is given to those babies who are likely to come into contact with someone with tuberculosis (TB). This includes babies who live in an area with high rates of TB or babies with parents or grandparents from a country with high rates of TB.

Has your baby received BCG vaccine?

If your baby has not received the BCG vaccination then please contact VACCINATION UK for more information and to arrange an appointment.

Weekly clinics are being held however appointments need to be made to ensure social distancing measures are being adhered to.

Call: 07494687242

Email: newham.bcg@nhs.net

Shingles Vaccination

It's recommended for people at higher risk from shingles, including all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system. If you are over 70 years of age and have not had shingles vaccine before you remain eligible up to your 80th birthday.

From 1 September 2023, all newly eligible individuals will be offered 2 doses of the non-live shingles vaccine Shingrix instead of Zostavax.

Individuals who have received Zostavax previously should not be revaccinated with Shingrix.

Those cohorts previously eligible for Zostavax who are under 80 years of age, should continue to be offered Zostavax until central stocks deplete, after which they should be offered Shingrix.

Shingrix can be administered alongside other vaccines such as Flu, pneumococcal, etc.

Read more about Shingles on nhs.uk