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.
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.
| 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.
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:
In addition, everyone should be offered a vaccination at 75 years of age.
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.
In addition, vaccination against invasive meningococcal disease and rabies could be applicable for certain groups.
Updated: 14 December 2022