Vaccinations and immunisations

Vaccination is the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves, vulnerable adults, and our children against getting ill from a number of diseases.

Senior woman sat on sofa under a blanket suffering from a cold

Vaccines work with your body's natural defences to build protection. They prevent millions of deaths worldwide every year. 

Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation about vaccines is often spread through social media and word of mouth. What you see or hear may not be based on scientific evidence and could put you, your child or others at risk of serious illness. 

Always get your vaccine and health information from trusted sources, such as the NHS. All the current evidence tells us that getting vaccinated is safer than not getting vaccinated. 

The following trusted information from the NHS helps to explain what vaccines do, and also what they don't do. 

Vaccines do: 

  • Help to protect you and your child from many serious and potentially deadly diseases 

  • Protect other people in your family and community – by helping to stop diseases spreading to people who cannot have vaccines, such as babies too young to be vaccinated and those who are too ill to be vaccinated 

  • Undergo rigorous safety testing before being introduced – they're also constantly monitored for side effects after being introduced 

  • Sometimes cause mild side effects that will not last long – you may feel a bit unwell and have a sore arm for two or three days

  • Reduce or even get rid of some diseases – if enough people are vaccinated 

Vaccines DO NOT: 

  • Overload or weaken the immune system – it’s safe to give children and adults several vaccines in one injection at a time and this reduces the amount of injections needed

  • Do not contain mercury (thiomersal) 

  • Do not contain any ingredients that cause harm – only ingredients essential to making them safer and more effective and only in very small amounts 

  • Do not cause autism – studies have found no evidence of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism

  • Find out more.  Why NHS vaccination is important and the safest way to keep yourself and your family safe. 

The flu vaccination aims to protect people  against the most common types of flu viruses, which can lead to serious or life threatening illness for some people.  It is offered to specific groups of people every Autumn before the winter months.  

Find out more about the Flu vaccine – NHS 

If you're eligible, it's important to top up your protection against COVID-19 by having a vaccine. COVID-19 vaccinations are usually offered twice a year, in the spring and early winter.  

Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine – NHS 

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus that can make babies and older adults very ill. The RSV vaccine is recommended during pregnancy and for adults aged 75-79, or turned 80 after 1 September 2024.

Find out more about the RSV vaccine – NHS 

There are several vaccinations recommended for babies and children to help avoid them getting seriously unwell from common childhood illnesses such as Measles and Mumps. The link below sets out the recommended timelines for which vaccines should be given at different ages and how to make an appointment. 

View the recommended vaccine schedule by age and how to make an appointment.

Further support and health information you can trust

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