All vaccinations and immunisations for Edinburgh and the Lothians are delivered by NHS Lothian and the four local health and social care partnerships.
Immunisations provide vital protection against illnesses which can be serious or even fatal. When you become eligible for a vaccine, a letter will most likely be sent directly to you (or to parents or carers).
NHS Lothian always aims to make it as easy as possible for you to get the vaccinations you need to stay healthy. For more information on immunisations generally and why these are important, you can visit NHS Inform.
For health information in other languages and formats, please visit NHS Inform. Contact details for NHS Lothian’s Vaccination Enquiries Helpline are available at the end of this page.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, you’ll be offered several vaccinations to help keep you and your baby healthy. These include whooping cough, flu and the COVID-19 vaccination.
Speak to your midwife to arrange your vaccinations, who can also answer any questions you may have about these.
Babies and toddlers
From two months of age, your baby will be offered the 6-in-1 vaccine, meningitis B, rotavirus and pneumococcal for babies vaccines.
From their first birthday, your child will be offered the Hib/Men C, MMR and booster vaccines.
At three years and four months, your child will be offered further booster vaccines (MMR and the 4-in-1).
Boosters are really important in order to maximise their immunity against serious illnesses.
If your child is overdue one of these vaccinations, or has missed a booster, you can contact us to arrange this.
There are vaccines which are not routinely given and are only offered to certain children, such as BCG (TB). If you think your child may be eligible and has not been offered this, please get in touch with us.
Children and teenagers
Children and young people are offered the annual flu vaccine, which is usually administered as a painless nasal spray.
Every S1 pupil in Scotland is offered the HPV vaccine, which provides vital protection against developing several types of cancer.
In S3, young people will also be offered the MenACWY vaccine which helps protect against meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
From S3, all young people are offered the Td/IPV vaccine (which completes their five-dose course against tetanus, diphtheria and polio).
Flu, HPV, MenACWY and Td/IPV all take place in schools and consent forms will be sent home in advance. If your child has lost or misplaced the form, another can usually be obtained from the school’s administration office.
If your child has missed a vaccine or booster, please contact us to see if they are still eligible.
Students (UK and International)
If you’ve missed out on any routine childhood vaccinations or all the necessary doses, you may still be eligible for these. If you’re not sure what vaccines you’ve had, you can contact your GP practice to check. For more information on vaccines for students, please visit NHS Inform.
Adults
The HPV vaccine is available in Scotland for men up to and including 45 years old who have sex with men. The vaccine will help prevent HPV infection, which can cause genital warts and certain types of cancer. To book your vaccine, please get in touch.
The pneumococcal vaccine is available in Scotland for all people aged 65 years and over and those under 65 who fall into a risk group or have a serious medical condition. Those who are eligible will be invited by letter.
You’re eligible for the free shingles vaccine if, on 1 September 2023, you were aged 70 or 65. This excludes people who were aged 66 to 69 on this date. You’re also eligible if you:
- are aged 71-79 (and have not previously had the vaccine)
- have a severely weakened immune system and are aged 50 or over
- are about to start immunosuppressive therapy and are aged 50 or over
- have received a stem cell transplant and are aged 18 or over
- are having or have had CAR-T therapy and are aged 18 or over
Adults who are eligible will be invited for an annual flu vaccination and seasonal COVID-19 vaccines. It’s important to get the vaccine every time you’re offered to top up your protection.
Travel
Before travelling abroad, you can check the Fit for Travel website to see what vaccines are advisable, check if you need anti-malarials and get advice on how to keep yourself well.
If you need a consultation, you can book this at NHS Lothian’s Travel Clinic.
Contact information
General enquiries (excluding school-age children)
Please contact NHS Lothian’s Vaccination Enquiries Helpline if you need further advice or assistance.
You can email loth.vaccenquiries@nhs.scot or call 0300 790 6296. The helpline is available 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, and you may be charged for this call.
You may be asked to provide your name, date of birth, address and CHI number (if available). For health information in other languages and formats, please visit NHS Inform.
Relay UK is available when contacting the Vaccination Enquiries Helpline for people with hearing or speech difficulties. NHS Lothian has no formal agreement with Relay UK, so please ensure you read this privacy statement before using the service.
School-age children (ages 6 to 18)
If you have queries specifically for children aged 6 to 18 who are in school, please email the Community Vaccination Team on loth.cvtschools@nhs.scot
You may be asked to provide your child’s name, date of birth, address and CHI number (if available). For health information in other languages and formats, please visit NHS Inform.
How do I find my or my child’s vaccination history?
Check your child’s Red Book for details about immunisations they’ve received. If you don’t have a Red Book for your child, please phone your local child health team:
- Edinburgh: 0131 312 1860
- West Lothian: 01506 524415
- East Lothian & Midlothian: 0131 446 4295
For your records, please contact your GP. If your GP cannot help, email loth.vaccenquiries@nhs.scot or phone 0300 790 6296 (open 8.30am – 3.30pm, seven days a week).
