Skip to content

Change website language

Changes to the childhood immunisation schedule - Changes to the childhood immunisation schedule for health professionals

This page contains information about the changes to the childhood immunisation schedule, introduced in 2025 and 2026.  

Information:

Please read the Welsh policy before following external documents:

Varicella (chickenpox) vaccination selective catch-up programme running November 2026 to March 2028 

There is a time-limited MMRV catch-up programme for children who were born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022. These children are offered a single dose of the MMRV vaccine to provide protection against chickenpox. The catch-up programme runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2028. Notification of eligibility should be issued to parents and guardians by 31 March 2027 at the latest. 

This programme has been introduced to help accelerate the control of chickenpox (varicella), reduce the spread of infection, and help protect children who are still susceptible to chickenpox. 

For more information about the MMRV selective catch-up programme, please visit Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV and MMR) containing vaccines for healthcare professionals.

Changes from 1 January 2026 

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee which advises the UK government on vaccination and immunisation matters. The JCVI uses emerging evidence to inform its advice on vaccination programmes. More information can be found on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (external site) website.  

The JCVI considered options for changes to the routine childhood immunisation schedule and recommended that the following changes be implemented from 1 January 2026: 

  • Introduction of an additional (fourth) dose of the DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB (hexavalent) vaccine at a new routine vaccination appointment at 18 months of age. 
  • At this 18-month appointment, children also receive the MMRV vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella). 

Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine  

The aim of introducing the MMRV vaccine to the childhood programme is to reduce the occurrence of measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella) infections and complications. Not only to reduce disease incidence, but eliminate measles and rubella, and potentially chickenpox.  

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine  

  • The MMR vaccine, which helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella, is no longer available for the NHS routine childhood programme from 1 January 2026. It is available for use outside of the routine childhood programme, for example older individuals who have not received two doses of MMR and are not eligible for varicella). 

Hib-containing multivalent vaccine DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB (6-in-1)  

  • The additional dose of 6-in-1 vaccine at the 18-month appointment is required to replace the Hib, which was previously given with the Menitorix© (Hib/MenC) vaccine at 12 months. This will help provide longer term protection against Hib infection. 
  • The additional 6-in-1 vaccination visit for babies at 18 months old affects the selective neonatal HepB programme (see changes from 1 July 2025 section below).  

Further information about the 6-in-1 vaccine and Hepatitis B can be found at: 

Changes from 1 July 2025 

The JCVI recommended that the following changes be implemented from 1 July 2025: 

  • The routine Hib/MenC (Menitorix®) vaccination offered at 12 months of age ceased. 
  • The second MenB (meningococcal group B) vaccine dose, previously administered at the 16-week appointment, was moved to the 12-week appointment. 
  • The first PCV13 (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for babies) dose, previously administered at the 12-week appointment, was moved to the 16-week appointment. 
  • The monovalent Hepatitis B (HepB) dose offered at one year of age as part of the selective neonatal HepB programme was removed from the schedule. You can find more information about these HepB schedule changes at HepB vaccination programme. 
Information:

Further information and guidance about these changes to the childhood schedule is available at the links below:

This toolkit summarises the resources and tools to support healthcare professionals through the changes to the routine childhood immunisation schedule.  

  • PHW resource: Slide set created to highlight key publications for the January 2026 changes. 

MMRV vaccine 

Frequently asked questions about the changes 

Training resources and events 

Online courses and training materials about a number of vaccines and diseases can be accessed via the E-learning page.  

Further training information and resources are provided on the Training Resources and Events page.  

The slides and recordings to provide detailed briefings to support Health Boards with local training are available to view on Training (sharepoint.com) (access for NHS healthcare staff).  

Clinical resources and information 

The Green Book has the latest information on vaccines and vaccination procedures (external site), for vaccine preventable infectious diseases in the UK.  

The UKHSA Visual guide to vaccines poster (external site) includes packaging and product presentation of the vaccines used in the routine vaccination programmes. 

Patient group directions (PGDs) and protocols  

PGD templates for vaccines can be found on the Welsh Medicines Advice Service (external site) PGDs page. 

Data and surveillance 

Page last reviewed: 21st October 2026