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.
Budget 2025: Chickenpox vaccination for children
A free Varicella (chickenpox) vaccination programme for children was announced in Budget 2025. If your child was born on or after 1 October 2024, the vaccine will be part of their childhood vaccinations (see below table).
If your child was born before this date, you can ask your GP for the vaccine, but you will have to pay for it.
Read more about the chickenpox vaccine on the HSE website.
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, 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.
RSV vaccine for newborns 2024-2025
If your baby is born between September 2024 and February 2025, the HSE will offer your baby the vaccine to protect against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
This is a temporary programme run by the HSE. You can find more information on the RSV vaccine on the HSE website.
Read more information about vaccines available for your baby (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 (From 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, 3. Meningococcal C vaccine |
| 12 months | GP | 1. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine
2. Vaccine against Meningococcal B 3. Vaccine against chickenpox (varicella) if your child was born on or after 1 October 2024 |
| 13 months | GP |
1. Vaccines against Meningococcal C, Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) 2. PCV vaccine (protects against Pneumococcal Disease) |
|
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) 3. Vaccine against chickenpox (second dose of varicella) if your child was born on or after 1 October 2024 |
| 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) |
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 catch-up programme
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, but currently you can book an appointment for an MMR vaccine at any age if you or your child has missed the MMR vaccine. This is known as the MMR catch-up programme.
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.