Vaccination programmes
In Sweden, children are offered protection against eleven diseases through the national vaccination programme for children. The vaccination programme for persons at risk includes vaccinations against pneumococcal infections.
All vaccinations within national vaccination programmes are voluntary and offered free of charge. The vaccination programmes are governed by the Communicable Diseases Act and regulations issued by the Public Health Agency of Sweden.
Responsibility for national programmes
Additional vaccinations are recommended for children and adults at risk.
Vaccination programme for children
The vaccinations that are offered to all children protect against eleven diseases: rotavirus infection, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella, serious diseases caused by pneumococcus and human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccinations are offered at different ages or at school, according to the vaccination schedule in the table below. Since 2016, all regions also offer all infants vaccinations against hepatitis B at 3, 5 and 12 months of age.
Most vaccines that are part of the Swedish child vaccination programme are given as combination vaccines, i.e. vaccines against several diseases are given in the same shot in order to minimize the number of injections.
Before starting school, children are offered vaccinations within the framework of the child health services, usually at well-baby clinics ("Barnavårdscentral", BVC). Vaccinations offered during school-age are the responsibility of the school health services ("Elevhälsan").
Children who have missed vaccinations or arrived in Sweden later than the scheduled time of vaccination are eligible for catch-up vaccinations.
More about catch-up vaccinations
| Vaccine against | Age, 6 weeks |
Age, 3 mths |
Age, 5 mths |
Age, 12 mths |
Age, 18 mths |
Age, 5 yrs |
1-2 year in school | 5 year in school | 8-9 year in school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotavirus infection | dose 1 | dose 2 | dose 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis |
– | dose 1 | dose 2 | dose 3 | – | dose 4 | – | – | dose 5 |
| Polio | – | dose 1 | dose 2 | dose 3 | – | dose 4 | – | – | – |
| Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) | – | dose 1 | dose 2 | dose 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Pneumococcal disease | – | dose 1 | dose 2 | dose 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Measles, mumps, rubella |
– | – | – | – | dose 1 | – | dose 2 | – | – |
| HPV (human papillomavirus) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | dose 1+2 | – |
– No scheduled dose at this age.
Vaccination programme for risk groups
Since 2022, persons with certain underlying diseases are offered vaccination against invasive pneumococcal infections within the national vaccination programme for risk groups. The vaccination programme includes persons 2 years and older with any of the following conditions:
- chronic heart disease
- chronic lung disease
- other conditions that lead to reduced lung function
- chronic liver disease
- chronic renal failure
- diabetes mellitus
- insufficient function of the spleen, or absence of a spleen
- cystic fibrosis
- cerebrospinal fluid leakage or barrier damage as a result of surgery or trauma to the skull
- cochlear implant
- impaired immune system due to disease or treatment
- organ transplant recipient.
In addition, everyone should be offered a vaccination at 75 years of age.