The short version
United States's routine schedule covers a disease that United Kingdom's does not: Hepatitis A. Depending on your child's age, the new clinic may offer these as catch-up doses.
For Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough, Polio, Hib and Hepatitis B and others, both countries vaccinate but at different ages. If you move part-way through a course, the new clinic will fit the remaining doses into the local schedule; a dose your child has already had is not wasted.
From each country's official schedule. Combination vaccines mean one injection can count for several diseases.
| Disease | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months, 3 years 4 months, 14 years (school year 9) | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, 4 to 6 years, 11 to 12 years | Both - different ages |
| Tetanus Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months, 3 years 4 months, 14 years (school year 9) | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, 4 to 6 years, 11 to 12 years | Both - different ages |
| Whooping cough Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months, 3 years 4 months | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, 4 to 6 years, 11 to 12 years | Both - different ages |
| Polio Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months, 3 years 4 months, 14 years (school year 9) | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 4 to 6 years | Both - different ages |
| Hib Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 to 15 months | Both - different ages |
| Hepatitis B Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months | Birth, 1 to 2 months, 6 months | Both - different ages |
| Pneumococcal disease Both - different ages | 16 weeks, 1 year (12-13 months) | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 to 15 months | Both - different ages |
| Rotavirus Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks | 2 months, 4 months | Both - different ages |
| Measles Both - different ages | 1 year (12-13 months), 18 months, 3 years 4 months | 12 to 15 months, 4 to 6 years | Both - different ages |
| Mumps Both - different ages | 1 year (12-13 months), 18 months, 3 years 4 months | 12 to 15 months, 4 to 6 years | Both - different ages |
| Rubella Both - different ages | 1 year (12-13 months), 18 months, 3 years 4 months | 12 to 15 months, 4 to 6 years | Both - different ages |
| Chickenpox Both - different ages | 1 year (12-13 months), 18 months, 3 years 4 months | 12 to 15 months, 4 to 6 years | Both - different ages |
| Meningococcal B Both - different ages | 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 1 year (12-13 months) | 16 years | Both - different ages |
| Meningococcal C Both - different ages | 14 years (school year 9) | 11 to 12 years, 16 years | Both - different ages |
| Meningococcal A, W, Y Both - different ages | 14 years (school year 9) | 11 to 12 years, 16 years | Both - different ages |
| HPV Both - different ages | 12 to 13 years (school year 8) | 11 to 12 years | Both - different ages |
| Flu Both - different ages | 2 years to school Year 11 (annually) | 2 months, 4 months, 6 months | Both - different ages |
| Hepatitis A Only in United States | - | 12 to 15 months, 15 to 18 months | Only in United States |
What to do when you arrive
- Bring written records. Your child's vaccination record (the UK "red book", a clinic printout or an app export) with the vaccine names, dates and batch numbers if you have them. If it is not in English, a translation helps.
- Register with a doctor or clinic early and ask for a vaccination review rather than waiting for the next scheduled appointment.
- Expect to continue, not restart. Doses already given are normally counted; the clinic fills the gaps to match United States's schedule for your child's current age.
- Check nursery and school requirements. In the US, every state requires proof of certain vaccinations for school and most childcare settings, and the exact list varies by state. Bring your child's records to your first appointment so the doctor can confirm what counts and what needs catching up before enrolment.
- Moving the other way later? Keep copies of everything - see moving from United States to United Kingdom.
See the full schedules: United Kingdom · United States · or compare any two countries on the comparison page.
This page compares routine childhood schedules and is general information, not medical advice. Your new doctor or nurse will advise on your own child, including any vaccines for health conditions or travel.
- United Kingdom - NHS / UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- United States - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / ACIP
Schedules last checked 2026-09-16 (United Kingdom) and 2026-09-09 (United States). How we check.