Reviewed by the BROODE Medical Advisory Board. Aligned to HSE Ireland guidance. Always consult your GP or practice nurse for advice on your specific child.
Your baby’s first vaccination appointment is often a parent’s first real foray into the Irish healthcare system as a parent. It’s short – 15 or 20 minutes – but it can feel like a lot. New vocabulary. New vaccines. A small person who doesn’t understand what’s happening.
The goal of this article is to give you a clear, calm walkthrough of the Irish childhood vaccination schedule: what’s given when, what each vaccine protects against, and what actually happens at the appointment. It’s aligned to HSE guidance and designed to help you feel confident, not anxious, going in.
We’ll cover the schedule at a glance, what each vaccine does, what to expect at an appointment, and what’s normal (and what isn’t) afterwards. It’s a starting point – for the deeper preparation, dosing details, and direct midwife access, that’s inside your BROODE membership.
How vaccines work
When your baby is vaccinated, their immune system responds by producing antibodies – proteins that recognise and fight that specific infection. Those antibodies stay in the body. If your baby encounters the real infection in the future, their immune system already knows how to respond, and can fight it off before it causes serious illness.
A few things worth knowing:
- Vaccines don’t provide immediate protection. It takes around two weeks after each vaccine for full protection to build. This is particularly relevant for the 2-month vaccines – your baby is not yet protected in the first days after that appointment.
- Most vaccines need more than one dose. A single exposure builds only partial immunity. Repeat doses strengthen and consolidate the immune response.
- Combined vaccines (like the 6-in-1) work just as well as individual vaccines given separately. They’re equally safe, and reduce the total number of injections your baby receives without reducing protection.
- Herd immunity matters. When most children are vaccinated, diseases struggle to spread – which protects the most vulnerable, including newborns too young for their own vaccines and anyone who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.
The Irish vaccination schedule at a glance
Childhood vaccinations in Ireland are provided free of charge under the HSE’s Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme. Vaccines are delivered through your GP practice for the first year, then through the School Immunisation Programme at older ages.
2 months (GP)
6-in-1 · PCV · MenB · Rotavirus (oral drops)
4 months (GP)
6-in-1 · MenB · Rotavirus (oral drops)
6 months (GP)
6-in-1 · PCV
12 months (GP)
MMR · MenB booster · Chickenpox
13 months (GP)
6-in-1 (4th dose) · MenC · PCV booster
4–5 years (school)
4-in-1 booster · MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox combined booster)
12–14 years (school)
HPV · Tdap booster · MenACWY
Children aged 2 to 17 are also offered the annual flu vaccine each autumn – given as a nasal spray (not an injection) and available through GPs and pharmacies from October.
Vaccination in Ireland is not legally compulsory, but it is strongly recommended by the Department of Health and the HSE. If you have concerns, discuss them with your GP before making a decision.
Members get more: Inside your BROODE membership, the full Vaccinations in Ireland course walks you through every vaccine in detail – what each disease is, why it matters, and why the timing is designed the way it is. Members also get the downloadable BROODE Vaccine Schedule Quick Reference Card.
What each vaccine protects against
Here’s a brief summary of what each vaccine in the Irish schedule protects your child from.
The 6-in-1 (2, 4, 6 and 13 months)
A single injection protecting against six diseases:
- Diphtheria – a serious bacterial throat infection that can block breathing
- Tetanus – a bacterial infection causing severe muscle spasms, contracted through cuts
- Pertussis (whooping cough) – highly contagious, can be life-threatening in young babies
- Polio – a viral infection that can cause permanent paralysis
- Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type B) – a bacterial cause of meningitis and pneumonia
- Hepatitis B – a viral liver infection that can become chronic
PCV – Pneumococcal vaccine (2, 6 and 13 months)
Protects against pneumococcal disease – a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, blood poisoning and pneumonia in young children.
MenB – Meningococcal B (2 and 4 months, with a booster at 12 months)
Protects against meningococcal B bacteria – the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in Irish children. Meningococcal disease can be fatal or cause serious long-term complications.
Rotavirus (2 and 4 months – oral drops, not an injection)
Protects against rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies. Before vaccination, it was a leading cause of infant hospitalisation in Ireland.
MMR – Measles, Mumps and Rubella (12 months, then again at 4–5 years as MMRV)
Protects against three highly contagious diseases – measles (which can cause pneumonia and brain inflammation), mumps, and rubella (which can cause devastating damage to an unborn baby if contracted during pregnancy).
Chickenpox (12 months, then again at 4–5 years as MMRV)
Chickenpox is usually mild in healthy children but can be serious in newborns, immunocompromised children, pregnant people who haven’t had it, and adults. The vaccine offers strong protection.
MenC – Meningococcal C (13 months)
Protects against another cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia.
HPV, Tdap booster, MenACWY (12–14 years, delivered at school)
HPV protects against the virus that causes almost all cervical cancer and several other cancers – offered to all students, boys and girls. Tdap boosts protection against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. MenACWY covers four strains of meningococcal bacteria relevant as young people move into secondary school and beyond.
Members get more: Inside your BROODE membership, every vaccine is covered in depth – including why the schedule is timed the way it is, what to expect at each appointment, and the diseases these vaccines make vanishingly rare in Ireland.
What to expect at a vaccine appointment
Before you go
- Check your baby’s temperature. If your baby has a temperature of 38°C or above, contact your GP before attending. A mild cold without fever is generally not a reason to postpone.
- Feed beforehand if you can. A fed, comfortable baby is generally calmer.
- Dress your baby in easy layers. Vaccines are given in the thigh, so trousers or a babygro with loose legs make access easier.
- Bring your red book – your child’s personal health record, given to you at or shortly after birth. The GP records each vaccine in it.
- Write down any questions. Vaccine appointments are a good opportunity to ask.
On the day
The GP or practice nurse will check your baby’s weight and health, confirm which vaccines are due, explain what’s being given, and answer any questions. Injections are given in the thigh. Rotavirus is given as oral drops. Everything is recorded in your red book.
The appointment typically takes 15 to 20 minutes, with a short wait afterwards as a standard precaution.
The hardest moment is watching your baby react to the injection – a sharp cry that passes very quickly. Pick them up immediately and hold them close. Breastfeeding during or straight after the injection has been shown to reduce pain response in babies. Skin-to-skin contact also helps.
Members get more: Inside your BROODE membership, we walk you through how to prepare for each appointment in detail – including how to handle difficult moments, what to pack, how to support your baby afterwards, and how to manage any anxiety you may feel about the day yourself.
Side effects: what's normal and what isn't
Side effects after vaccines are common and almost always mild and short-lived. They’re a sign that the immune system is responding – not that something has gone wrong.
Common and normal:
- Soreness, redness or swelling where the injection was given (usually resolves in 2–3 days)
- Irritability and fussiness
- High temperature over 38°C (more likely after MenB)
- Drowsiness or sleeping more than usual for the first 24 hours
- Loss of appetite for 24–48 hours
- Mild rash after MMR or chickenpox vaccine (usually harmless)
- Mild diarrhoea after the rotavirus oral vaccine
For fever and general discomfort, infant liquid paracetamol at the correct dose for your baby’s weight is recommended – and for MenB vaccines at the 2-month and 4-month appointments, the HSE specifically recommends giving paracetamol at the time of the vaccine, even before a temperature develops. Ask your GP for the correct dose for your baby’s weight before the appointment.
Contact your GP if after vaccination your baby:
- Is not well and you are worried
- Has a temperature that doesn’t come down with paracetamol
- Has a temperature above 39°C
- Is inconsolably crying for more than 3 hours
- Has a fit or convulsion
- Is unusually pale, floppy or unresponsive
- Develops a widespread rash
Serious allergic reactions to vaccines are extremely rare and most likely to occur within 15 to 30 minutes of the injection – which is why GP practices ask you to wait briefly afterwards.
Do vaccines cause autism?
No. They don’t.
This claim originates from a 1998 study that was later found to be fraudulent. The author lost his medical licence, and the study was retracted. Since then, extensive research involving millions of children across multiple countries has consistently found no link between any vaccine and autism.
The scientific and medical consensus on this is unequivocal: vaccines do not cause autism.
If you have concerns about any aspect of your child’s vaccinations, your GP is the right first port of call. You can also contact HSE Live on Freephone 1800 700 700.
What if you miss a vaccine?
If your child misses a vaccine for any reason – illness, travel, a missed appointment, anything – contact your GP. Most vaccines can be given late and still provide full protection. The HSE operates a catch-up programme for exactly this reason.
If you’ve lost your red book, your GP practice holds a record of all vaccines given there.
Key takeaways
- Childhood vaccinations are free in Ireland under the HSE’s Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme.
- The schedule covers appointments at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 13 months (at your GP), and at 4–5 years and 12–14 years (at school).
- Vaccines take around two weeks to build full protection. Your baby is not protected in the first days after a vaccine.
- Most side effects are mild and short-lived. High fever is more common after MenB – paracetamol helps.
- If you miss an appointment, it’s not too late. Contact your GP for the catch-up programme.
- Vaccines do not cause autism. The medical and scientific consensus on this is clear.
The full picture is inside your BROODE membership
This article is a starting point. The full BROODE Vaccinations in Ireland course – designed to help you feel confident, not anxious, going into every appointment – is inside your BROODE membership.
You also get:
- The full 11-lesson Vaccinations course – every vaccine, every appointment, every side effect, covered in depth
- The downloadable BROODE Vaccine Schedule Quick Reference Card – save it, print it, stick it on the fridge
- Monthly Midwife Q&As – ask anything about your specific baby, get qualified answers
- Expert-led paediatric webinars – on development, illness recognition, and everything beyond vaccines
- Access to our postnatal community – real-time support from parents at the same stage
€29/month for the first 100 members. €34/month thereafter.
Written by the BROODE team. Reviewed by the BROODE Medical Advisory Board. Aligned to HSE Ireland guidance as of April 2026. Always consult your GP or practice nurse for advice on your specific child.
