Vaccination schedules differ by country, so follow the one where your baby lives. In Australia, routine vaccines start with hepatitis B at birth, then visits at 6 weeks, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months. In the UK, they start at 8 weeks, with more at 12 and 16 weeks and 1 year. In the US, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends hepatitis B within 24 hours of birth, then a series from 1 to 2 months. Vaccines in pregnancy add another layer of protection in the first months.
Most side effects are mild and pass in a day or two. One rule doesn't change after vaccines: a baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or more needs emergency care.
This page summarises each schedule as of October 2026. Schedules change, so your vaccination provider will confirm exactly what's due.
When are babies vaccinated in Australia, the UK and the US?
| Country | At birth | First-year visits |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Hepatitis B | 6 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months |
| UK | Hepatitis B only if the mother has it | 8, 12 and 16 weeks, then 1 year |
| US (AAP) | Hepatitis B within 24 hours | 1 to 2 months, 2 months, then through 18 months |
The sections below give the detail for each country. If you've moved countries or your baby had vaccines overseas, take their record to your GP or vaccination provider. They can work out a catch-up plan.
Australia: the National Immunisation Program
NSW Health in Australia lists the vaccines funded under the National Immunisation Program as of 1 October 2026:
| Age | Vaccines |
|---|---|
| Birth | Hepatitis B, within 7 days (ideally within 24 hours) |
| 6 weeks | 6-in-1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Hib), pneumococcal, rotavirus |
| 4 months | 6-in-1, pneumococcal, rotavirus |
| 6 months | 6-in-1 |
| 12 months | Meningococcal ACWY, pneumococcal, measles-mumps-rubella |
| 18 months | Diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough booster, MMR plus chickenpox, Hib |
A few extra details from the same schedule:
- Rotavirus is given as drops in the mouth, with strict age limits: the first dose before 15 weeks and the second before 25 weeks.
- Meningococcal B is funded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and some children with medical risk conditions, and recommended for other children. Paracetamol is recommended with it.
- Flu vaccine is offered every year to children from 6 months to under 5 years.
- Extra doses are recommended for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children with certain medical conditions.
Some states and territories add their own programs, so check your state's schedule too.
UK: the NHS schedule
The NHS vaccination schedule lists:
| Age | Vaccines |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | 6-in-1, rotavirus, MenB |
| 12 weeks | 6-in-1, MenB, rotavirus |
| 16 weeks | 6-in-1, pneumococcal |
| 1 year | MMRV (for babies born from 1 January 2025), pneumococcal, MenB |
| 18 months | 6-in-1, MMRV (for babies born from 1 July 2024) |
The NHS rotavirus vaccine page says the first dose can be given up to 15 weeks and the second up to 24 weeks. Babies whose mothers have hepatitis B get a hepatitis B vaccine at birth and 4 weeks. A BCG vaccine against TB is offered at around 4 weeks to babies at higher risk.
US: the AAP and CDC schedules
In the US, the AAP and the CDC now publish schedules that differ, so ask your paediatrician which one they follow.
The AAP's guide to vaccines by age 6 lists:
- Birth: hepatitis B within 24 hours, and an RSV immunisation for babies who need it.
- 1 to 2 months: a second hepatitis B dose.
- 2 months: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough), Hib, polio, pneumococcal and rotavirus.
- 6 months on: flu vaccine every year, and COVID-19 vaccine from 6 to 23 months.
- 6 to 18 months: a third hepatitis B dose.
- 12 to 18 months: MMR, chickenpox (varicella) and hepatitis A.
The hepatitis B birth dose. The AAP still strongly recommends that all babies get a first dose within 24 hours of birth. On 16 December 2025, the CDC adopted individual-based decision-making for babies whose mothers test negative for hepatitis B. If the birth dose is put off, the CDC suggests starting no earlier than 2 months. Babies whose mothers test positive or whose status is unknown should still get the vaccine within 12 hours of birth, plus hepatitis B immune globulin.
Other changes. The AAP explains that in January 2026 the CDC removed rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, COVID-19, flu and meningococcal vaccines from its routine schedule for all children. The AAP still recommends all of them. Ask your paediatrician and insurer about cover.
Which vaccines in pregnancy protect my baby?
Some vaccines given in pregnancy pass protective antibodies to your baby before birth, covering the first months before their own vaccines take effect.
| Vaccine | Australia | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whooping cough | 20 to 32 weeks, each pregnancy | Around 20 weeks | 27 to 36 weeks, each pregnancy |
| RSV | From 28 weeks | From 28 weeks | 32 to 36 weeks, September to January |
In Australia, the NSW schedule adds that the whooping cough vaccine may be given up until delivery, and flu vaccine can be given in any trimester. The NHS offers flu vaccine in pregnancy during flu season. The US whooping cough timing comes from the CDC's Tdap in pregnancy page.
How is my baby protected against RSV?
RSV protection works differently in each country. For what to watch for if your baby does get a chest infection such as bronchiolitis, see colds and congestion.
- Australia. The maternal RSV vaccine is funded from 28 weeks of each pregnancy. Australia's National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) says state and territory programs offer an antibody injection (nirsevimab) to babies whose mothers weren't vaccinated, or were vaccinated less than 2 weeks before birth, and to babies with certain risk conditions. Some programs run all year and others are seasonal.
- UK. The NHS RSV vaccine page recommends the vaccine in every pregnancy from 28 weeks, and says it helps protect each baby for the first 6 months. It can be given later, up until labour, but earlier gives the best protection.
- US. The CDC's RSV page recommends either the maternal vaccine at 32 to 36 weeks or an antibody injection (nirsevimab or clesrovimab) for babies younger than 8 months whose mothers weren't vaccinated. Babies born from October to March should get it within 1 week of birth.
What side effects are normal after vaccines?
Victoria's Better Health Channel (Australia) lists common side effects:
- redness, swelling and tenderness where the needle went in
- a baby who is unsettled or sleepy
- a fever
- sometimes a small, hard lump at the injection site, which can last weeks or months and needs no treatment
It says side effects are mostly mild and usually last 1 to 2 days. The NHS lists diarrhoea and irritability as the most common side effects of the rotavirus vaccine, and a high temperature as a common side effect of MenB.
To help your baby feel better:
- Offer extra feeds. Better Health suggests extra fluids.
- Don't overdress a baby who feels hot.
- Put a cold, wet cloth on the injection site to ease soreness.
- Use paracetamol only as advised. Better Health says routine paracetamol isn't recommended after vaccination, but it can be given for fever or pain. Paracetamol is recommended with MenB in Australia, and the NHS MenB vaccine page recommends it after the 8- and 12-week MenB doses. Follow the instructions you're given at the appointment. In the UK, the UK Health Security Agency's MenB paracetamol guide sets a special schedule of infant paracetamol suspension that differs from the packet leaflet, and says junior (6 plus) paracetamol must not be used in babies; sleep after vaccinations has the details. For fevers at other times, follow the packet or ask your pharmacist.
- Stay at the clinic for at least 15 minutes after the vaccines, as Better Health advises. Serious allergic reactions are very rare, at fewer than one in a million people, and are treatable if acted on quickly.
What if my baby gets a fever after vaccines?
Under 3 months: a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or more needs emergency care, even if it's soon after vaccines. Call your local emergency number (000 in Australia, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency department. Better Health notes a baby who is unwell may have an illness rather than a vaccine reaction. The NHS urgent-help guide lists this temperature under 3 months among reasons to call an ambulance or go to A&E. The NHS MenB and rotavirus pages ask for an urgent GP appointment or a call to the NHS advice line instead; our guides use the stricter tier, to match our fever and when to call the doctor guides. Ask at the appointment what to expect, so you're not caught off guard.
From 3 months: a mild temperature for a day or two is common. The NHS MenB page asks for an urgent GP appointment or a call to the NHS advice line if a high temperature lasts more than 48 hours after the vaccine. At 3 to 6 months, a temperature of 39°C (102.2°F) or more is on the NHS urgent-help guide's list of reasons to call an ambulance or go to A&E. The same guide's longer list leaves out babies who had a vaccine in the past 2 days, and the NHS rotavirus page asks for an urgent GP appointment or advice instead. As with the under-3-months rule, we use the stricter tier: call your local emergency number (000 in Australia, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency department.
When should I get help after vaccinations?
Call your local emergency number (000 in Australia, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US) now if your baby:
- has swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or trouble swallowing or breathing
- is floppy, very drowsy or hard to wake, or has a seizure
- is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C or more
- is 3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39°C or more, even soon after vaccines
- is vomiting with a swollen, hard tummy, or has more than a streak of blood in their poo (see when to call the doctor)
Get medical help today if:
- a high temperature lasts more than 48 hours after a MenB vaccine
- in the week after a rotavirus dose, your baby keeps being sick, has blood in their poo, has a swollen or painful tummy, or stops feeding (the NHS says the vaccine carries a very small risk of a bowel blockage)
- a reaction seems severe, unexpected or isn't settling; Better Health advises contacting your GP straight away
Talk to your GP or child-health nurse about a lump at the injection site that worries you, a missed dose, or questions about the next visit. If you're unsure, call a health advice line (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 in Australia, NHS 111 in the UK, your pediatrician's after-hours line in the US).
What if my baby was premature or missed a dose?
The AAP's page on vaccines for premature babies says they should get every vaccine on the standard schedule, at the usual ages counted from their birth date rather than their corrected age. One exception is the hepatitis B birth dose for babies under 2,000 g whose mothers have tested negative for hepatitis B: the AAP advises giving it at 1 month or at hospital discharge, whichever comes first. That delay does not apply if the mother has hepatitis B. The same AAP page says her baby must have the first dose within 12 hours of birth, and it makes no exception for weight. If the mother's hepatitis B status isn't known, ask the care team before any dose is delayed.
If a dose was missed, ask your GP or vaccination provider for a catch-up plan. Ask soon for rotavirus, which has strict age limits.
What's worth keeping a note of?
Keep your baby's official record, and check it's updated after each visit. In your own notes, write down the date, the vaccines given and any reaction, such as a temperature with the time you took it. Keep "appointment booked" separate from "vaccines given", so a reminder is never mistaken for a completed dose.
