Vaccinations help protect children and young people against a range of serious and potentially fatal disease. Some diseases that are caused by viruses can’t be cured with antibiotics. The only way to control them is by immunisation.
Before vaccines were available, many children in the UK died from diseases such as whooping cough, measles and polio. Through immunisation, children have the best possible protection against dangerous diseases. Find out more about how vaccines work, what they contain, the most common side effects and when we should have them