In a landmark shift for public health, children across the United Kingdom will now receive a vaccination against chickenpox as part of the routine NHS schedule. For the first time, the health service is integrating protection against the common childhood illness into its core immunisation programme.
A New Combined Vaccine for Enhanced Protection
From this Friday, the NHS across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will begin administering a new combined jab. The long-standing measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, used since 1988, is being replaced by the MMRV vaccine. This single injection will safeguard young children against all four diseases, including chickenpox, which is also known as varicella.
Infants will be offered two doses of the vaccine, the first at 12 months and the second at 18 months. The initial appointments at GP surgeries are set for this Friday. This strategic move aligns the UK with nations like the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany, where similar combined vaccination programmes have dramatically cut chickenpox cases and related hospital admissions.
Tackling a Common Yet Potentially Serious Illness
Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection that most children catch. Official data indicates that half of all children contract it by age four, and 90% have had it by the time they turn ten. While often mild, causing an itchy rash that can last a fortnight, it forces children to miss school or nursery for around five days until the spots scab over.
More seriously, the virus can lead to complications such as pneumonia or bacterial infections, requiring hospital care. Until now, parents seeking the chickenpox vaccine typically had to pay privately, at a cost of approximately £150 per child.
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England's joint medical director, hailed the change: "This is a hugely positive moment for children and their families, providing protection against chickenpox for the first time and adding to the arsenal of routine vaccinations we give to children to safeguard them against serious illnesses."
Evidence-Based Decision Ends Years of Delay
The UK had previously held back from introducing universal chickenpox vaccination due to concerns about its link to shingles. The chickenpox virus remains dormant in the body and can reactivate later in life as shingles. There were fears that reducing circulation of the 'wild' virus through childhood immunisation might increase shingles cases in adults by removing natural 'booster' exposures.
Professor Helen Bedford, an expert in children's health at University College London, explained the shift: "We now have a shingles vaccine programme for older people and have the benefit of other countries' experience of a varicella vaccination programme. The decision is evidence-based."
The change follows a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). It is projected to have significant economic benefits, saving the NHS an estimated £15 million annually from reduced GP visits and hospitalisations, and saving families about £24 million in lost income and productivity.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "historic milestone," noting the disruption and worry the disease causes families. The rollout represents a major, proactive step in protecting the long-term health of the UK's children.
