This page is available in other languages:
Ukrainian - Вакцинація в Ірландії
Russian - Как сделать прививки в Ирландии
Vaccinations can help to protect you and your family against certain diseases. You can talk about vaccines you or your child need with your GP or public health nurse. They can answer any questions you have.
HSE Vaccination teams are also providing a catch-up vaccination programme for children and people up to the age of 23 in accommodation settings and localities where high numbers of people are living.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and others against COVID-19.
Read more about protecting yourself against COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines
Vaccines your baby will get
From 2 months to 13 months, babies in Ireland get a series of vaccines to protect them against some very infectious diseases. You can get these vaccines through a GP.
The vaccines include the following:
- 6 in 1 - protects against 6 diseases: diphtheria, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pertussis (whooping cough), polio and tetanus
- MenB - protects against meningococcal B disease
- PCV - protects against pneumococcal disease
- Rotavirus - protects against rotavirus infection, the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children in Ireland
- MenC - protects against meningococcal C disease
- MMR - protects against measles, mumps and rubella (also called German
- measles)
- Hib - protects against haemophilus influenzae type B
Read more about the immunisation schedule for babies
Talk to your GP if your baby did not get some of these vaccines.
Vaccines your child will get
Your child can get some vaccines in school in Ireland. You will get details of the vaccines and a consent form before your child is vaccinated. Your child will only get the vaccines if you give your consent.
Primary school
Children aged 4 to 5 get the 4 in 1 and MMR vaccines. The 4 in 1 vaccine protects against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and tetanus. The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
Read more about the 4 in 1 and MMR vaccines
Secondary school
Children aged 12 to 13 get the HPV, Tdap and Men ACWY vaccines.
The HPV vaccine protects against the HPV virus. The HPV virus can cause cancer.
The Tdap vaccine protects against the following infections:
- tetanus
- diphtheria
- pertussis (whooping cough)
The Men ACWY vaccine protects against four types of meningococcal disease. Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis (inflammation of the lining around the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
Read more about the HPV, Tdap and Men ACWY vaccines
Adult vaccines
Check your immunisation records to see if you got the vaccines included in the Irish immunisation schedule. If you did not get these vaccines, talk to a GP.
Vaccines and pregnancy
If you are planning to get pregnant, make sure that you are immune to infection from rubella. Rubella infection during pregnancy causes major birth defects in 9 in 10 babies. It may also cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
A GP can check if you are immune to rubella infection. MMR vaccination is only required if you do not have documentation of having had at least one MMR vaccine in the past.
During pregnancy you can get the following vaccines:
- flu vaccine - this is safe to get at any time during your pregnancy
- COVID-19 vaccine - this is safe to get at any time during your pregnancy
- pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine - get this vaccine between 16 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to get the best protection for your baby
Read more about vaccines and pregnancy
Measles
You need 2 doses of the MMR vaccine to get protection against measles. Anyone can get measles if they did not get the MMR vaccines.
Check if it’s measles
The first symptoms of measles are:
- cold-like symptoms such as aches and pains, a runny nose, sneezing and a cough
- sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light
- a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above (fever), which may reach around 40 degrees Celsius
- small greyish-white spots in your mouth
- loss of appetite
- tiredness, irritability and a general lack of energy
Contact your GP as soon as possible if:
- you think you or your child have measles
Call your GP’s surgery before your visit, as they may need to make arrangements to reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
Contact your GP or maternity hospital urgently if:
- you are pregnant and you think you might have measles
Prevent the spread of measles
Do not go to childcare, school, work for at least 4 days from when the rash first appears.
To reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others, avoid contact with young children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.
If your child is in childcare or school, tell them if your child develops measles. Children in your child's group or class may need to be vaccinated if they are not fully vaccinated against measles.
Tell the accommodation manager if you are in shared accommodation and you or your child develops measles.
Read more about measles
Download a poster in English on what to do if someone develops measles
Download a poster in Ukrainian on what to do if someone develops measles
Download a poster in Russian on what to do if someone develops measles
