Routine and travel vaccinations

What are routine and travel vaccinations?

Vaccines teach your child's immune system to recognise and fight specific infections, without your child having to catch the disease first. They are one of the most effective ways to protect children from illnesses that can cause serious harm, disability or death.

The routine UK childhood schedule (the 'Green Book' schedule) offers free vaccines at set ages from 8 weeks onwards, protecting against diseases such as measles, meningitis, whooping cough, polio, pneumococcal infection and more. The schedule is updated from time to time — from 1 January 2026 it includes a combined MMRV vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox) and a new appointment at 18 months for younger children.

The Green Book is the UK-wide clinical guidance, but each UK nation — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — publishes its own patient schedule and organises invitations and appointments in its own way, so exactly when and where your child is offered each vaccine can differ. Which vaccines your child is due also depends on their date of birth and any transition arrangements as the schedule changes. It is always worth checking the current schedule or asking your GP, practice nurse or health visitor what applies where you live.

Travel vaccinations are extra vaccines a child may need before visiting certain countries, depending on where you are going, what they will be doing and how long for. Some travel vaccines are free on the NHS (such as hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and polio); others, like yellow fever, are private.

Vaccines do not give 100% protection in every child, and some need boosters to keep working. But the protection they give — to your child and to others around them — is large and well proven. Many studies have shown there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Routine vs travel vaccinations

Travel vaccines are extra — keeping the routine schedule up to date still matters, including before travelling abroad.

Preparing for your treatment

• Bring your child's red book (personal child health record) so vaccines can be recorded and gaps spotted.
• Tell the nurse or doctor about any serious allergy to a previous vaccine or its ingredients, or a weakened immune system.
• Mention if your child is unwell with a high temperature on the day, as the appointment may be put back a little.
• For travel, book early — ideally 6–8 weeks before you go — as some vaccines need time or several doses to work.
• For travel, know your exact destinations, dates, and what your child will be doing (such as rural stays or contact with animals).
• Dress your child in loose clothing so the upper arm or thigh is easy to reach.
• Plan a calm approach: feeding, cuddles, distraction or comfort can all reduce upset.

What happens

Most vaccines are given as a quick injection into the thigh (in babies) or upper arm (in older children); a few are given by mouth (such as rotavirus) or nasal spray (the children's flu vaccine). The nurse or doctor checks your child is well enough and confirms which vaccines are due.

The injection itself takes seconds. Babies and young children often cry briefly; feeding, cuddling or distraction usually settles them quickly. You will normally be asked to wait a short time afterwards so any immediate reaction can be dealt with.

For travel vaccines, the clinician will review your trip and your child's history, advise which vaccines and other measures (such as malaria prevention or food and water hygiene) are sensible, and plan the timing of any courses.

Afterwards the vaccines are recorded in the red book and your child's records, and you are told what is normal afterwards and when the next doses are due.

Is this treatment right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Serious reactions to vaccines are very rare, and clinics are trained and equipped to treat them. The risks from the diseases vaccines prevent are far greater. The single biggest safety point is to tell the clinician about any severe reaction to a previous vaccine or a known severe allergy beforehand. If your child seems very unwell after any vaccine, or has signs of a severe allergic reaction (swelling, difficulty breathing), call 999.

Published figures to discuss

Serious vaccine reactions are very rare and far less common than complications of the diseases themselves. Exact figures depend on the vaccine, the child's age and how events are counted, and febrile reactions in particular vary with the specific vaccine and timing. For these reasons precise percentages are not quoted here; the key point is that severe reactions are rare and treatable, while the diseases prevented can be serious.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

There is no real recovery from vaccination. Most children carry on as normal; some are a little off-colour for a day or two while their immune system responds.

• A sore, red or slightly swollen injection site for a day or two
• A mild temperature and being a bit unsettled or sleepy
• A reduced appetite for a short time
• A mild rash a week or two after MMR/MMRV in some children

Aftercare

• Offer extra feeds or fluids and plenty of cuddles.
• Use children's paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever or discomfort if needed and advised for your child's age.
• Do not put aspirin on or give aspirin to children under 16.
• Dress your child comfortably and avoid overheating.
• Keep the next vaccine due dates noted and book them in good time.
• Record vaccines in the red book and keep a copy, especially before travel.
• Know the signs of a serious reaction and how to get urgent help.

• Red book (personal child health record) to hand
• Children's paracetamol or ibuprofen suitable for their age at home
• List of any previous vaccine reactions or allergies
• Travel details ready if booking travel vaccines
• Next due dates noted in a calendar
• Urgent-advice number saved — your clinic, plus NHS 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or your GP out-of-hours / HSC Trust Phone First number in Northern Ireland

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Difficulty breathing, noisy or grunting breathing, or going blue-grey around the lips — call 999
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or a widespread hives rash soon after a vaccine (possible severe allergic reaction) — call 999
• A non-blanching rash that does not fade when pressed under a glass — call 999
• A child who is very drowsy, floppy, will not wake, or has a seizure — call 999
• A high temperature that you cannot control, or a baby under 3 months with any fever — seek urgent medical advice
• Persistent high-pitched or inconsolable crying, or you feel your child is seriously unwell — trust your instinct and seek help
• How to get help: if the situation is life-threatening, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent but non-life-threatening advice, use NHS 111 in England, Scotland or Wales; in Northern Ireland, contact your GP out-of-hours service or your HSC Trust's Phone First service.

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result is simply that your child is protected. Most vaccines build strong protection over days to weeks, and the schedule is designed so that several doses give lasting cover. Some vaccines, including MMR/MMRV, give very high protection after the recommended doses.

No vaccine is 100% effective in every child, and protection from some wanes over time, which is why boosters exist. A vaccine cannot protect against infections it is not designed for, so keeping to the schedule and getting the right travel vaccines both matter. Vaccines do not cause the diseases they prevent, and there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

How long protection lasts varies by vaccine. Some give long-lasting or lifelong protection after the full course; others, such as tetanus, diphtheria and some travel vaccines, need boosters every few years. Your clinician or travel clinic can tell you when your child is next due and what is needed for future trips.

Related tests, treatments or support

Several vaccines are routinely given at the same visit, which is safe and means fewer appointments. Travel vaccines can often be given alongside or close to routine ones; the clinic will plan timing so courses are completed before you travel. For travel, vaccines are usually combined with other advice such as malaria prevention and food, water and insect-bite precautions.

Follow-up & long-term care

Follow-up is mainly making sure the next doses and boosters happen on time. Your GP records vaccines and can flag what is due. For travel, the clinic will give you a plan and any certificates (such as for yellow fever) and tell you when boosters are needed for future travel.

• Keep to the routine schedule and complete every recommended dose
• Book boosters (such as the pre-school and teenage boosters) on time
• Review travel vaccine needs before each trip abroad
• Keep the children's flu vaccine up to date each year where offered
• Keep the red book updated and bring it to appointments

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Boosters are a normal part of vaccination, not a sign anything went wrong.
• Missed doses can almost always be caught up without restarting the whole course.
• Some travel vaccines need repeating before future trips.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear, written advice on what is normal and red-flag signs that need urgent help.
• Accurate recording in the red book and a reminder of the next due dates.
• For travel, a written plan, any required certificates and advice on non-vaccine precautions.
• A named contact for questions after vaccination, plus a clear urgent-advice route: NHS 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or GP out-of-hours / your HSC Trust's Phone First service in Northern Ireland.
• Honest, evidence-based answers to any worries, including about MMR safety.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether the vaccine is part of the free NHS schedule or a private travel vaccine
• The specific travel vaccines needed and how many doses each requires
• Whether a travel health consultation or risk assessment is charged separately
• Certificates required, such as a yellow fever certificate
• Where you are vaccinated (GP practice, pharmacy or private travel clinic)
• Any additional advice or products, such as malaria prevention, that may carry a cost

• Which vaccines are included and the cost of each, including all doses in a course
• Whether a consultation or travel risk assessment fee is separate
• Cost of any certificates (such as yellow fever)
• What is covered if a further dose or booster is needed
• Whether any vaccines could be obtained free on the NHS instead
• Cancellation and rebooking policy if travel plans change

On the NHS? The routine childhood immunisation schedule is provided free on the NHS; some travel vaccines are also free while others (such as yellow fever and rabies) are usually private.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• Which vaccines are due for my child today, and which are coming up next?
• Has my child missed any vaccines, and how do we catch up safely?
• For our trip, which travel vaccines and other precautions do you recommend, and when should we have them?
• Are any of the travel vaccines free on the NHS, and which are private?
• What is normal afterwards, and when should I seek urgent help?
• When will my child next need boosters?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified specialist for routine and travel vaccinations

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Vaccinations (childhood schedule and travel) GOV.UK — Complete routine immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026 GOV.UK — Green Book chapter 11: immunisation schedule NHS — MMR vaccine NHS — Travel vaccinations TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) — Country travel advice GOV.UK — The complete routine immunisation schedule (current UK schedule) nidirect — Urgent and emergency care services (Northern Ireland) nidirect — GP out-of-hours service (Northern Ireland)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.