The updated childhood immunisation resources will be rolled out over the course of the next few weeks.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction
  • Background
  • Vaccination Schedule 
  • How Ardens can help
  • How to access the resources
• Plan
  • Cohorts
  • Review before 
  • Due 
• Recall
  • Invites
• Deliver
  • Administer
• Evaluate
  • Review after 
• Additional Learning

Introduction

Background

The childhood immunisation schedule is one of the most effective ways to protect children’s health and prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases.

Vaccination Schedule 

The routine immunisation schedule is set nationally and updated regularly. For the latest information on vaccine timings and requirements, please refer to the Routine childhood immunisation schedule - GOV.UK. 

⚠️ January 2026 Update (source - Changes to the routine childhood schedule letter - GOV.UK

From 1st January 2026:

• Introduction of an additional (4th dose) of DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB vaccine at a new routines appointment at 18 months.
• Second MMR dose moved from 3 years 4 months to the new routine appointment at 18 months.

How Ardens can help

Ardens resources help practices manage childhood immunisations more effectively by simplifying how teams identify who is due, when vaccinations are needed, and what has already been given. This supports safer and more consistent delivery of timely vaccinations.

How to access the resources

Reports

Navigate to Population Reporting > Ardens Searches > 3.22 Vaccinations - Childhood (From Jan'26).

Use the F12 All Template Launcher or Nursing Procedure Launcher (access this support article for instructions on using the Template Launchers). Alternatively, open a consultation and select Run Template and search for the Childhood Immunisation Template.

Plan

Cohorts

The cohort report identifies all patients at the practice aged between 4 months and 4 years, regardless of whether they have received all, some, or none of their childhood vaccinations, or have declined them. 

Navigate to Ardens > 3.22 Vaccinations - Childhood > 1. Cohort.

Review before 

Before sending invitations, we recommend reviewing the following reports for safeguarding purposes. These reports identify patients under 4 years of age who have had a vaccination decline recorded within the last 12 months and do not have a complete vaccination record for their current milestone. Reviewing these reports helps practices confirm that declines were recorded appropriately, check whether families still wish to decline, and identify any vaccinations that may have been given elsewhere but not yet recorded.

 Please note:  If all relevant vaccinations have already been administered, or if the patient has an exception code recorded (e.g., adverse reaction), they will be automatically excluded.

Navigate to Ardens > 3.22 Vaccinations - Childhood > 2. Review Before.

Due 

The Due reports identify patients who have not yet received the vaccinations they are currently due. These reports support practices to proactively identify eligible patients and ensure vaccinations are offered in a timely manner.

• Due soon: patients are due within the next 4 weeks. Patients will only display here if the previous vaccination has been recorded, to ensure the schedule is followed correctly.
• Due now: patients who are due for their next vaccination now. 

  Please note: 

• These reports provide an overview of patients soon due for childhood vaccinations. They should not be used for sending invites, which is done via the 'Invitation' folders.
• Patients will only be displayed in these reports if the previous vaccination has been recorded, ensuring the schedule is followed correctly.
• Once the vaccine is recorded in the patient's record, they will be removed from the report.
• Patients will automatically be moved from 'Due soon' to 'Due now' when applicable.

Navigate to Ardens > 3.22 Vaccinations - Childhood > 3. Due. 

Recall

Invites

The Invitation reports are designed to help practices communicate with a patient’s parent or guardian, inviting them to book vaccinations at the appropriate age.

Invite reports are grouped into the following folders:

• Invite as due soon: patients who have not yet received a vaccination that is due within the next 4 weeks (up to the day before it is scheduled). Practices can use these reports to proactively invite patients ahead of schedule.
• Invite as due now: patients whose next vaccination is now due, according to the schedule for their age or milestone. These reports are broken down further by 1st, 2nd and 3rd invites.

 Please note:

• Once the appropriate invite code is recorded in the patient record, the patient will no longer display in the reports.
• For patients due now, if no vaccine has been recorded within 2 weeks of the 1st invite being sent, they will automatically move into the 2nd invite. Same logic applies for 2nd to 3rd invites.
• No specific SNOMED invite codes exist for 18-month vaccinations yet; generic codes are used until the official codes are available.
• Patients appear in the Invitation report only if all previous vaccinations are complete. Those with incomplete courses appear in the ‘Review After’ folder.

Invite Codes: