Vaccinations for children and young people
- Introduction
- Where to get your child vaccinated in Ireland
- Your child's vaccines and when to get them
- Vaccine catch-up programmes
- More information
Introduction
Immunisation is a safe and effective way to help your body prevent or fight off certain diseases. You can get immunisation through vaccinations.
You can get your child vaccinated under the:
- Childhood Immunisation Programme
- School Immunisation Programme
- HSE catch-up programme
Check the table below to see what age to get your child vaccinated.
How much do these vaccinations cost?
These vaccinations are free of charge.
Parental consent for vaccines
If you are under 16, you must get your parent or guardian's consent for vaccinations.
Vaccination is not compulsory but is strongly advised by the Department of Health. You should discuss any concerns you may have with your GP (family doctor) before making a decision about your child’s immunisation.
Where to get your child vaccinated in Ireland
You are usually offered your child's vaccinations by:
- The hospital where your baby was born
- The HSE
- Your GP
- The School Immunisation Programme or
- The HSE catch-up programme
You can also contact your Local Health Office or your GP directly.
Vaccines for babies
You will usually be offered vaccines for your baby from your GP (family doctor) until they are 13 months old, as part of the Primary Childhood Immunisation Schedule. You can also get your baby vaccinated in hospitals and health clinics.
You should make sure your baby gets their vaccinations on time, or as soon as possible after they are due. If your baby is due to have a routine vaccination, you should phone your GP to arrange it.
Read more information about vaccines available for your baby (pdf) and check the HSE vaccine schedule for children born on or after 1 October 2024 (pdf).
Vaccines at school
When your child starts school, they can get more vaccinations under the School Immunisation Programme.
During winter, you can usually get the flu vaccine for your child if they are aged from 2 to 17. The flu vaccine for children is given by nasal spray rather than injection.
Your child's vaccines and when to get them
| Age | Where | Vaccine |
| 2 days old | Hospital |
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine (For children born between September 2024 to February 2025) |
| 2 months | GP |
1. 6 in1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) and Hepatitis B provided in one single injection) 2. PCV vaccines against pneumococcal disease 3. Meningococcal B vaccine 4. Oral vaccine to prevent rotavirus disease |
| 4 months | GP |
1. 6 in1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) and Hepatitis B provided in one single injection) 2. Meningococcal B vaccine 3. Oral vaccine to prevent rotavirus disease |
| 6 months | GP |
1. 6 in1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) and Hepatitis B provided in one single injection) 2. PCV vaccines against pneumococcal disease, |
| 12 months | GP | 1. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine
2. Vaccine against Meningococcal B If born on or after 1 October 2024 your baby will also get: 3. Vaccine against chickenpox (varicella) |
| 13 months | GP |
1. Vaccine against Meningococcal C 2. PCV vaccine (protects against Pneumococcal Disease) If born after 1 October 2024 your baby will also get: 3. 6 in1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) and Hepatitis B provided in one single injection) |
|
2-17 years |
GP or pharmacy |
|
| 4–5 years | GP or school |
1. 4 in 1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) and polio) 2. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine (second dose) If born on or after 1 October 2024 your baby will also get: 3. Vaccine against chickenpox (second dose of varicella) |
| 11–14 years
1st year in second-level schools |
School |
1. Tdap (tetanus and low-dose diphtheria) booster 3. HPV (Human Papillomavirus Virus) vaccine (3 doses) |
Check the HSE vaccine schedule for children born on or after 1 October 2024 (pdf).
Vaccine catch-up programmes
If you or your child missed certain vaccines when they were offered, the HSE can sometimes provide these vaccines later in life. Catch-up programmes are often only available to certain age groups and during a specific time period.
MMR vaccinations for older children and adults
Your child will usually be offered the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine when they are 12 months old, followed by a second dose when they are aged 4-5 years old in junior infants. Usually, children can get the MMR until they are aged under 10 years.
Your GP may provide an MMR catch-up vaccination:
- If your child is not up to date with their MMR vaccine
- If you are aged 18 to 46 and are not fully vaccinated with MMR
Adults born in Ireland before 1978 are likely to have had measles infection and so would not need to get the MMR vaccination.
HPV catch-up programme
The HPV catch-up programme ended on 31 December 2023.
More information
You can get information about all immunisations from your GP, public health nurse or Local Health Office.
The HSE's National Immunisation Office website and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) have produced useful factsheets on immunisations for parents. These factsheets are available in several languages.