You can vaccinate your child through the NHS, privately or a mix of both. The right choice depends on timing, cost and which vaccines you want.
The UK child vaccination schedule changed at the start of 2026. Here we will set out the current NHS schedule and which private child vaccinations we offer at The Oakley Medical Practice in Birmingham. We’ll also cover the specific choices around MMR, chickenpox and single vaccines that come up most often in consultations.
What Is the UK Child Vaccination Schedule?
The UK child vaccination schedule now runs from 8 weeks old through the teenage years. It offers free protection against 13 diseases through a set run of NHS appointments.
In the first year, your baby is offered:
- 8 weeks: 6-in-1 vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hib and hepatitis B), rotavirus vaccine, MenB vaccine
- 12 weeks: 6-in-1 vaccine (2nd dose), Men B (2nd dose), rotavirus vaccine (2nd dose)
- 16 weeks: 6-in-1 vaccine (3rd dose), Pneumococcal vaccine (1st dose)
- 1 year: MMRV vaccine (1st dose), pneumococcal vaccine (2nd dose), MenB vaccine (3rd dose)
Children are then offered a 4th dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine at 18 months, alongside their second MMRV dose. Most children are also offered an annual flu nasal spray from age 2 through primary school. A preschool booster follows at around 3 years and 4 months, covering diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio. Older children are offered the HPV vaccine at 12 to 13 years plus a teenage booster covering diphtheria, tetanus, polio and MenACWY.
Can You Get Children’s Vaccinations Privately As Well As on the NHS?
Yes, Oakley Medical Practice offers private children’s vaccinations alongside the NHS programme, including some options the NHS schedule doesn’t cover for every child.
Oakley’s private catalogue for children includes:
- MMR and chickenpox given separately, for parents who don’t want the combined MMRV
- MenB and MenACWY, which can be given earlier or on a different timetable than the NHS offers
- HPV, available to both girls and boys from age 9
- Hepatitis B, rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines outside the standard NHS timing
- TB (BCG) vaccination for babies and children at higher risk
- Seasonal flu vaccination, alongside the NHS nasal spray offered to most children each autumn
- Travel vaccines for family trips abroad
- Single vaccine options for parts of the 6-in-1, including polio, Hib and hepatitis B on their own, for parents who’d rather spread these out
What’s the Difference Between NHS and Private Children’s Vaccinations?
Private children’s vaccinations mainly differ from the NHS in three ways: how soon you’re seen, how the schedule is timed and which vaccines are on offer.
- Appointment speed: Private appointments are usually available within days, without waiting for an NHS invitation letter.
- Timing: Oakley’s alternative baby vaccine schedule lets parents space out or reorder the child vaccination schedule.
- Choice: Privately, you can choose separate MMR and chickenpox vaccines instead of MMRV or add vaccines the NHS doesn’t offer every child, such as MenACWY at a younger age.
None of this replaces the NHS programme for most families. Most parents stick with the free NHS schedule for the bulk of their child’s vaccines and choose private baby and child vaccinations only where they want something different.
Is the MMR Vaccine Still Available on the NHS?
No, the MMR vaccine on its own is no longer part of the standard NHS schedule. Since January 2026, it’s been replaced by the MMRV vaccine. The MMRV vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox instead of just the first three.
MMR has been used in the UK since 1988 as a three-in-one vaccine. MMRV is the same vaccine with chickenpox protection added, making it a four-in-one. Children now receive two doses, the first at 12 months and the second at 18 months, replacing the old MMR schedule of 12 months and a preschool booster.
Some parents don’t want the chickenpox element bundled in and ask about MMR on its own instead. The NHS doesn’t routinely offer this to young children any more. However, The Oakley Medical Practice still provides the MMR vaccine privately, alongside a separate chickenpox vaccine, for families who’d rather keep the two apart.
Can You Get Single Measles, Mumps or Rubella Vaccines Instead of the MMR?
No, none of the three single vaccines are available in the UK any more, on the NHS or privately.
There’s never been a standalone mumps or rubella vaccine for most parents to consider. Both were withdrawn by their manufacturers over a decade ago, long before MMRV existed.
The single measles vaccine could still be given privately until October 2025, when the MHRA, the UK’s medicines regulator, stopped allowing it to be imported into the country. It’s still made and used in other countries, including India, but no UK clinic can bring it in or offer it now, including private clinics.
That leaves MMR and MMRV as the only two routes to measles protection for a child in the UK. Both include mumps and rubella too, since there’s no way to have measles cover on its own any more.
Can My Child Have the Chickenpox Vaccine on Its Own?
Yes, The Oakley Medical Practice offers the chickenpox vaccine as a standalone private vaccine, given as two doses from 9 months of age.
This works well for parents who are happy with MMR on its own and don’t want chickenpox included or who want chickenpox cover sooner than the NHS timetable allows. It isn’t routinely available on the NHS unless your child is considered at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from chickenpox.
How Do You Book a Children’s Vaccination Consultation at The Oakley Medical Practice?
You can book directly with Oakley’s nursing team for a consultation around your child’s vaccinations, and the consultation costs £35.
- Book your appointment, either by calling the practice, booking with a nurse online or filling out our online enquiry form.
- Bring your child along, and bring their vaccination record too if they’ve had any before, so the nurse can see what’s already been given.
- Sit down with the nurse for about 15 minutes, while she talks through which vaccines your child needs or discusses a specific one you’ve asked about.
- Have a vaccine that day if you choose to, and the £35 consultation fee comes straight off the cost of any vaccines given at that appointment.
For current pricing on individual vaccines, get in touch with our team directly.
