Chickenpox vaccines for children on NHS starts across UK

All young children in the UK can now be offered protection against chickenpox by the NHS for the first time.

The vaccine will be combined with the existing MMR jab, given at 12 and 18 months of age, which already helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella. Children under six years old can receive doses by invitation.

Experts say a new combination vaccine called MMRV, where V stands for varicella (another name for chickenpox), is expected to reduce the number of many thousands of families affected by the infection each year and prevent the most severe cases.

Until now, parents have had to pay up to £200 to buy the vaccine privately to protect their children.

From 1 January, MMRV will be included in the routine childhood vaccination schedule in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Scotland to announce this. implementation start date in early January.

Chickenpox is very common in young children. The main feature is an itchy, patchy rash that becomes covered with blisters and scabs. It can be painful and affect the body from head to toe. Children often feel unwell for several days, with fever and muscle pain.

It also spreads easily. About 90% of children under the age of 10 will get chickenpox at some point, and a week away from school or daycare is quite common.

But it could develop into something more serious, warns Dr Gayathri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunization at the UK's Health Security Agency.

“For some infants, young children and even adults, chickenpox can be very serious, leading to hospitalization and, unfortunately, although rare, can be fatal,” she said.

Complications may include bacterial infection of the scabs and, much less commonly, swelling of the brain known as encephalitis, inflammation of the lungs known as pneumonitis, and stroke.

Young children and adults are more likely to become seriously ill from this infection. Pregnant women are especially at risk due to potential complications for both the mother and the unborn child.

Maria Horton's daughter Beth was just two and a half years old when she had a stroke a few weeks after contracting chickenpox.

“She lost consciousness, her arm and leg became limp and then she had a seizure,” said Ms Horton, who lives in Plymouth.

Since then, Beth has had to live with many consequences: she cannot use her right arm, has trouble speaking and lives in pain, her mother said.

“I know some people are hesitant about vaccines, but if I had known years ago what I know now, I would have given her the vaccine without hesitation.

“As a mom, if you could go back in time and prevent something catastrophic from happening, you definitely would.

“And if I could stop someone else from going through what Beth did, that would be amazing.”

Dr Claire Fuller, national medical director for NHS England, said the provision of protection against chickenpox was “an enormously positive thing for children and their families”.

Health Minister Wes Streeting urged all parents to take up the vaccine offer, calling the rollout a “historic milestone in protecting the health of our children” from a disease that “sends thousands of people to hospital every year”.

The MMRV vaccine has been used safely for decades in other countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, where there has been a decrease in the number of people getting chickenpox and fewer severe cases.

The part of the vaccine that protects against chickenpox has been shown to be very effective (about 97% after two doses) and long-lasting.

The UK is lagging behind for various reasons. Concerns have been raised about the cost of the vaccination program across the UK and the potential rise in cases of shingles when the chickenpox virus is reactivated in adulthood, but after many years of vaccination in the US this has not proven to be an issue.

Recent research also shows the scale of the impact of chickenpox on children and the NHS. NHS England estimates that around £24 million in income and productivity is lost each year in the UK due to childhood chickenpox. He also estimated that the vaccine could save £15 million a year in NHS costs.

For all these reasons, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which advises UK health departments, has recommended the vaccine be introduced into the National Health Service in November 2023.

“Families will save time and money – they will no longer face loss of income due to business interruptions or having to fork out money for private vaccinations,” Streeting said.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the rollout of the vaccine across the UK was “welcome news”.

Meanwhile, the Royal College of GPs said all NHS children's vaccines are safe and effective, adding that the jabs are “one of the most important health interventions parents can have for their children”.

Protection against chickenpox is provided by a new combination vaccine called MMRV, which will replace the current MMR vaccine. This combination shot helps protect against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

Children born after January 1, 2026 two doses of MMRV vaccine will be automatically offered at 12 and 18 months.

As part of the catch-up program, older children will be offered one or two doses, depending on their date of birth:

• children born On or after January 1, 2025 two doses will be offered: one at 12 months and one at 18 months.
• children born from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 two doses will be offered: one at 18 months of age and the other at 3 years and 4 months.
• children born from September 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024 one dose will be offered at 3 years and 4 months
• children born from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2022 a single dose will be offered later in 2026.

Children aged six years and older on the last day of 2025 will not be eligible for the MMRV program because they are likely to have already had chickenpox infection.

GPs will contact families to arrange an appointment for when the vaccinations are due.