Vaccinations

Getting vaccinated is the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. Vaccines protect you and those around you from getting sick by providing immunity against a range of infectious diseases. Getting vaccinated also makes it harder for the disease to spread. Getting vaccinated protects people who cannot get vaccinated, helps prevent life-threatening illnesses and prevents larger outbreaks of infectious diseases from occurring. 

Since vaccines were introduced in the UK, diseases like smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or disable millions of people are either gone or are now very rarely seen. Other diseases like measles and diphtheria have been reduced to a very low number of cases each year since vaccines were introduced. These cases are often related to travel.

However, if people stop having vaccines, it's possible for infectious diseases to quickly spread again.

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 2 or 3 days
• reduce or even get rid of some diseases: if enough people are vaccinated

Vaccines don’t:

• overload or weaken the immune system: it's safe to give children and adults several vaccines at a time and this reduces the amount of injections needed
• contain mercury (thiomersal)
• contain any ingredients that cause harm: only ingredients essential to making them safer and more effective and only in very small amounts
• cause autism: studies have found no evidence of a link between any vaccine (including MMR or MMRV and autism)

In the UK, there are several routine vaccinations that children and adults are encouraged to get. These vaccinations are free and are usually provided by your GP practice. You must register with a GP practice in order to be invited to these.

The pages in this section explain what vaccinations are available to different groups of people.

Anyone can register with a GP surgery or change their GP surgery for free. This includes everyone in England, regardless of their immigration status. The process is straightforward and can be done online or in person.