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Immunisation

Changes to the national childhood immunisation programme from July 2025

Changes to the national childhood immunisation programme will start to be implemented from 1 July 2025, representing the most significant changes to the programme since 2013, when the highly successful childhood flu and rotavirus vaccination programmes were introduced.

The changes include:

From 1 July 2025

  • cessation of routine Hib/MenC offer to those turning 1 year of age
  • moving the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) dose from 12 weeks of age to 16 weeks of age
  • bringing forward the second meningococcal group B (MenB) dose from 16 weeks of age to 12 weeks of age
  • removal of the dose of monovalent Hepatitis B vaccine given at 12 months of age as part of the selective schedule for babies born to Hepatitis B infected mothers

From 1 January 2026

  • introduction of a new routine vaccination appointment at 18 months of age to deliver an additional fourth dose of the ‘six-in-one vaccine’, to replace the Hib component of Hib/MenC vaccine
  • bringing forward the second dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine from 3 years and 4 months of age to 18 months of age, to help to improve vaccine uptake and thereby reducing the likelihood of measles outbreaks

A 5,000 word summary-overview of the changes is available at, ‘Childhood schedule changes from 1 July 2025: information for healthcare practitioners’.

Key guidance for immunisation professionals and other healthcare practitioners is available as follows:

The changes are the result of a series of recommendations by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). In respect of the removal of MenC vaccine from the programme,  for example, JCVI advised that this was no longer necessary due to the success of the teenage meningococcal vaccination programme in controlling meningococcal C (MenC) disease across the population.

Final agreement on JCVI’s recommendation to introduce a new childhood varicella (chickenpox) vaccination programme is pending a decision by Department of Health and Social Care. If agreed, this will result in a further change to the childhood schedule in due course.

 

Vaccine update: issue 359, June 2025

This month's edition features:

  • information on changes to the infant schedule
  • rationale for the changes to the infant schedule
  • updated publications and training guidance
  • how to order paper copies of the core infant leaflets now
  • green book on immunisation chapters
  • PGDs 
  • vaccine supply information

You can download the PDF version here.