Vaccination programmes and recommendations
In Sweden, children are offered protection against eleven diseases through the national vaccination programme for children. In 2022, a vaccination programme against pneumococcal infections for risk groups started. Additional vaccinations are recommended for children and adults at risk.
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
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.
Read 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 (a) |
||||||
| 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 |
(a) If a vaccine is used that should be given with three doses.
Vaccination programme for risk groups
Starting in 2022, persons with certain underlying diseases will be offered vaccination against invasive pneumococcal infections within a national vaccination programme. 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.
Recommended vaccinations
Besides national vaccination programmes, the Public Health Agency has also issued recommendations for vaccination. These aim towards protecting children and adults with an increased risk of being infected or of becoming severely ill following an infection. The regions can choose whether or not to implement the recommendations, and if the individual has to pay for the vaccination or not.
- Covid-19 - Vaccination against covid-19 are recommended to all adults 18 years and above.
- Diptheria and tetanus - All adults are recommended a booster dose of vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus every 20 years.
- Hepatitis B - The vaccine is recommended for all infants. Babies born to hepatitis B-infected mothers follow a special vaccination schedule. It is also recommended for persons at increased risk of being infected or suffering serious disease as a result of hepatitis B, and should also be given to people who have been exposed to hepatitis B infection, in some cases in combination with specific immunoglobulin treatment.
- Influenza - Persons 65 years and above, pregnant women and persons with certain underlying diseases (including children) are recommended annual, seasonal vaccination against influenza.
- Measles, mumps and rubella - Everyone is recommended to be protected against measles, mumps and rubella.
- Pertussis - Pregnant women are recommended vaccination against pertussis during the second or third trimester. A combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis is used for vaccination.
- Pneumoccoccal disease - In addition to the groups covered by the national vaccination programme for risk groups, the Public Health Agency recommends that everyone 65 years and above should be offered vaccination against invasive pneumococcal disease.
- Polio - Everyone is recommended to be vaccinated against polio. Additional doses may be necessary before travelling to or from countries with ongoing circulation of polio virus.
- Tuberculosis - Vaccination against tuberculosis is recommended for children at increased risk of infection, but not for adults. The vaccine is normally administered to at-risk children born in Sweden at 6 weeks of age.
In addition, vaccination against invasive meningococcal disease and rabies could be applicable for certain groups.