In Ireland, children are offered a series of free vaccines from early infancy through their teenage years to protect them against serious infectious diseases. Most of the early vaccines are given by your GP and practice nurse, while later booster doses are delivered through school immunisation programmes run by the HSE. Understanding the childhood vaccination schedule helps parents know what to expect, when to book appointments, and which protections their child receives at each stage.
When Are Childhood Vaccines Given in Ireland?
The primary childhood immunisation schedule begins when a baby is two months old and continues until around thirteen months of age. During this first year, the vaccines are given at your GP practice, usually by the practice nurse. After this, children receive booster doses when they start primary school and again in their first year of secondary school, with these later vaccines typically delivered by HSE school immunisation teams rather than the GP. Vaccines are scheduled at specific ages because a child’s immune system responds best to them at these points, and because early protection guards against diseases that are most dangerous in infancy.
What Your GP Covers — The Primary Schedule
Your GP and practice nurse deliver the vaccines given in the first year of life. At two months, your baby receives the 6-in-1 vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib, polio and hepatitis B, along with the pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine, the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine, and the rotavirus vaccine, which is given by mouth. At four months, the 6-in-1, MenB and rotavirus vaccines are repeated.
At six months, your baby receives the third dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine, a second dose of PCV, and the meningococcal C (MenC) vaccine. The schedule then pauses until around twelve months, when children are offered their first dose of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, together with a further MenB dose. At thirteen months, a PCV booster and a Hib/MenC booster complete the primary schedule. Exact timings can vary slightly, so it is always worth confirming your child’s next appointment with the practice.
Vaccines Given at School
Once your child reaches school age, the remaining vaccines are usually provided through the HSE school immunisation programme rather than at the GP. In junior infants, at around four to five years of age, children are offered the 4-in-1 booster, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio, along with a second dose of the MMR vaccine. In first year of secondary school, teenagers are offered the HPV vaccine, which protects against cancers caused by the human papillomavirus, the Tdap booster against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, and the MenACWY vaccine against several strains of meningococcal disease. If your child misses a school dose, your GP can advise on catch-up options.
Are Childhood Vaccines Free in Ireland?
Yes. All vaccines on the HSE childhood immunisation schedule are provided free of charge, regardless of whether your family holds a medical card. There is no consultation fee for the routine childhood vaccines given as part of the schedule at your GP. This makes it straightforward for every family to keep their child fully protected without having to worry about cost.
Why Following the Schedule Matters
Vaccines work best when given at the recommended ages and in the right order, because each dose builds on the protection of the last. Keeping to the schedule means your child is protected as early as possible against diseases such as measles, which can spread quickly and cause serious illness — something we have written more about in our guide to the importance of measles vaccination. If your child has fallen behind, for example after an illness or a recent move to Ireland from abroad, your GP can put together a catch-up plan to bring them up to date safely.
Book an Appointment at Clarius Health
Clarius Health welcomes new patients across our three Dublin clinics, and our practice nurses provide childhood vaccinations as part of the HSE schedule. If your child is not yet with us, you can register with a GP and book a vaccination appointment at whichever clinic is most convenient for your family. Visit us at Clarius Health Camden, 35 Camden Street Upper, Dublin 2; Clarius Health Crumlin, Kildare Road, Dublin 12; or Clarius Health — Cabra Medical Centre, 109 Cabra Road, Dublin 7. To register or book online, contact us today and keep your child’s vaccinations on track.
