What is chickenpox and who can get the vaccine?

Young children in the UK will soon be offered a free chickenpox vaccine from the NHS.

From January 2026, it will be added to the list of standard childhood vaccinations, and a catch-up program will operate for older children.

Chicken pox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV)..

The virus is transmitted through direct contact between people or through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing.

It is very easy to get infected, especially if you have never had it before.

Although the disease primarily affects children (about half of them have had it by their fourth birthday), people of any age can contract it.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain and general malaise.

After a couple of days, an itchy, patchy rash appears.

These red or pink dots can appear anywhere on the body, including in the mouth.

Some children may only have a few spots, while others may be covered from head to toe.

The spots fill with fluid and turn into blisters and then crust over, forming scabs that eventually fall off and clear.

You are contagious and can spread chickenpox to other people from two days before the spots appear until they all form scabs, which is usually five days after they first appear.

In most cases, children will have a mild illness, although they will feel unwell and may have to miss school or daycare for a few days.

Some children may develop complications.

In rare cases, chickenpox can cause swelling of the brain, called encephalitis; inflammation of the lungs, called pneumonitis; and stroke, which can lead to hospitalization and – very rarely – death.

Chickenpox is often more severe in very young children and adults.

This can be dangerous during pregnancy, causing complications for both mother and baby.

You can already get the chickenpox vaccine privately in the UK for up to £200.

But experts say adding chickenpox vaccine into the official NHS childhood immunization program will dramatically reduce the number of people who get chickenpox, resulting in far fewer serious cases.

The vaccine does not guarantee lifelong immunity, but it significantly reduces the risk of chickenpox or severe illness.

Serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction, are very rare.

From January 2026, children will automatically be offered two doses at 12 and 18 months.

They will receive the MMRV combination vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

This is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened version of the chickenpox virus. Thus, it is not recommended for people with a weakened immune system due to a disease such as HIV or as a result of treatment such as chemotherapy.

The move will bring the UK in line with other countries that already offer routine chickenpox vaccinations, including Germany, Canada, Australia and the US.

It was previously thought that vaccinating children against chickenpox would cause a problematic increase in the incidence of shingles, but a recent long-term study in the US has disproved this theory.

The committee that advises the government on vaccinations – JCVI – recommended that all children receive MMRV vaccination in November 2023..

He also suggested creating a temporary program for slightly older children who would simply miss out on schooling. Details on this are expected in due course.

The decision on chickenpox vaccination was announced as new data showed none of the main childhood vaccines in England had reached the target of 95% uptake in 2024/25.

Some 91.9% of five-year-olds have received one dose of the MMR vaccine, unchanged from 2023/24 and the lowest level since 2010/11, according to the UK's Health Security Agency.

You cannot get shingles. This extremely painful condition which can develop years after exposure to chickenpox.

This is because when people get chickenpox, the virus remains in the body and can later reactivate to cause shingles.

This can happen, for example, if your immune system is weakened due to stress, certain conditions, or treatment such as chemotherapy.

For many, it is a painful skin rash – usually on the chest or abdomen – on one side of the body.

Medicines (antiviral pills) can help speed up recovery and avoid longer-term problems.

A shingles vaccine available on the NHS for:

• people who turned 65 on or after September 1, 2023
• people aged 70 to 79 who have not yet been vaccinated
• people aged 50+ with severely weakened immune systems

You can get shingles more than once, so it's important to get vaccinated even if you've had shingles before.

If you get shingles after vaccination, your symptoms may be much milder.