Immunisations

Six-in-one vaccine

The six-in-one vaccine helps protect children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hib, and Hepatitis B. Babies are offered three doses of this vaccine at ages eight, 12, and 16 weeks. 

In 2024, Scotland had achieved a 94.8% coverage of the six-in-one vaccine among children at age 12 months. Within the selected Scottish cities shown there wasn’t a great variation in coverage reported. Edinburgh had the highest coverage with 94.4%, followed by Aberdeen and Glasgow who both had 94.1% and Dundee had the lowest out of them with 93.3%. 

MMR vaccine

The MMR vaccine protects children against measles, mumps, and rubella. Children are offered two doses: the first at age 12-13 months, and a booster at age three years and four months. To achieve and maintain disease elimination, the World Health Organisation recommends 95% uptake of all doses of the MMR vaccine.

In 2024, 90.5% of children in Glasgow aged 24 months had received the first MMR dose. Vaccine coverage only reached the 95% target among three-to five-year-olds. This trend was seen across Scotland, however not all Scottish cities are following this pattern, in particular Aberdeen and Dundee are lower than the national coverage.

Despite good uptake of the MMR first dose, coverage of the MMR booster failed to reach the WHO target. In Glasgow City Region in 2023, 90% of children aged 24 months, and 89% of children aged five years had received the booster vaccination, respectively. This was mirrored at a national level, and in other Scottish cities.

Despite good uptake of the MMR first dose, coverage of the MMR booster failed to reach the WHO target. In Glasgow in 2024, 87.5% of children aged five years received the booster vaccination. This was just below the national level of 89.2% and similar to other Scottish cities, though Aberdeen was lower with 82.9% coverage.

HPV vaccine

From 2019, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was offered to every pupil in Scotland in the first year of Secondary school (aged approx. 12-13 years) to protect against HPV-related cancers. Prior to this, only girls were offered the vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are offered to young people. 

Vaccine uptake and age

In Glasgow, uptake of the first dose of the HPV vaccine in 2023/24 was higher among older pupils, with 65.1% of S1 (first year) pupils compared to 86.9% of S4 (fourth year) pupils.

Similar patterning was found across other Scottish cities, but Dundee had a lower vaccine uptake among S1-S3 pupils compared to Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. 

Vaccine uptake and gender

In Glasgow the uptake rate of the HPV vaccine is slightly higher in girls compared to boys and this pattern follows throughout the year groups. In S1, 72.7% of girls received the vaccine compared to 69.9% of boys; in S2, 83.1% of girls compared to 79.1% of boys; and in S3, 86.9% of girls compared to 81.9% of boys. This trend is also reflected in national rates.

Vaccine uptake and deprivation

There was variation in uptake of the HPV vaccine by deprivation across Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board (data was not available at a local authority level), which was mirrored nationally with lower rates for those living in the most-deprived quintile than in the least. In S3, 92.6% of pupils in SIMD 5 (the least-deprived quintile) had received their HPV vaccine, compared to 77.5% in SIMD 1 (the most-deprived quintile).

Deprivation was also associated with uptake of the HPV vaccine among S4 pupils albeit with a smaller inequality gap. In Glasgow there was a lower uptake of vaccine with 85.4% in SIMD 1 compared to 94.6% in SIMD 5.

Notes

There is no target for uptake of HPV immunisation in Scotland, but the expectation is that a coverage of 80% or more should be achieved for routine programme.

Evidence now shows that only one dose of the HPV vaccine is needed to give protection.

From 1 January 2023, the HPV vaccine moved to a one-dose schedule, with a single dose of vaccine required to complete the course. This is normally offered in S1 but is re-offered in later school years for pupils who missed the dose. Prior to 1 January 2023, the routine HPV immunisation schedule was two doses of vaccine to complete the full course.

There is no data on uptake of flu vaccines among children and young people in Scotland, despite all children being routinely offered the flu vaccine from age two years. 

This page was updated in March 2025.