Newborn & baby health centre

Baby immunisations directory

Immunisations are used to protect children from serious diseases such as whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, tetanus, mumps, measles, rubella, rotavirus, polio, hepatitis B and other diseases. They also help revent the spread of those diseases to others. Each of these diseases at one time posed a serious health threat to children, taking their lives by the thousands; today most are at their lowest levels in decades, thanks to immunisations. Often, vaccines are combined into one injection, such as the DTaP and the MMR jabs. Follow the links below to find BootsWebMD's comprehensive coverage of the vaccinations the NHS recommends for babies, what they are for, potential side effects and much more.

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News archive

The percentage of children in England who have had the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rose during 2009-10 compared with the previous year, official figures show.

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Thumbnail: Child health 1-5 - Child vaccinations

Your child can be immunised against certain diseases with a vaccine, which often takes the form of an injection. A vaccine stimulates the body to produce antibodies, which are proteins that fight illness. When children come into contact with the disease they have been immunised against, the antibodies fight the disease.If your child doesn't receive all their vaccinations they're at risk of catching serious diseases such as measles and meningitis.See the Birth to five Guide to vaccinations for more information and to check whether your child has had the complete set of vaccinations. If they haven't, make an appointment at your local GP surgery so that your child can have any vaccinations that they've missed.You can also use our Child development timeline to check when your child is due for vaccinations and health reviews.

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