The combined MMRV jab, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, is being offered on the NHS for the first time to young children
The chickenpox vaccine will be available on the NHS for the first time(Image: Getty Images)
For the first time, the chickenpox vaccine will be available on the NHS, with children across the UK eligible. The jab will be offered to children in conjunction with the MMR vaccine, which provides protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
Health experts have welcomed this news, stating that chickenpox can be “very serious” in certain instances. The introduction of the vaccine could also alleviate pressure on families, as parents often need to take leave from work to look after their ill children.
The vaccine has been utilised in other countries for many years and is a standard part of childhood immunisation programmes in the US, Canada, Australia and Germany. The UK-wide rollout follows a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in 2023.
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In an interview with the Press Association, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “This is going to make a real difference for children and families right across our country, because while chickenpox can be irritable and difficult for children, it can also be extremely serious and occasionally even fatal.
“The great thing about this new vaccine is that it combines the vaccine for chickenpox with MMR, which means that families can access this jab for their children, aged between 12 and 18 months. It’s going to make a real difference,” reports Chronicle Live.
“It’s going to reach so many children, young people, keeping them healthy, making sure their parents don’t have to take weeks off work dealing with an irritable and unwell child”.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the chickenpox vaccine rollout will make a ‘real difference'(Image: Getty)
NHS England has announced that hundreds of thousands of children will become eligible for the jab from Friday, with GPs preparing to contact families to offer the MMRV vaccine as part of the routine childhood vaccination programme.
Chickenpox, also referred to as varicella, is a widespread infection which transmits readily amongst young children, and whilst typically mild, it can result in severe complications and, in exceptional circumstances, prove fatal.
An estimated £24 million is forfeited in earnings and productivity across the UK annually as parents require time off to look after their children. The vaccine is also anticipated to save the health service £15million yearly in treatment costs for the condition.
Dr Claire Fuller, national medical director for NHS England, commented: “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.
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“From now, the combined vaccine to protect against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox will be available at children’s routine vaccination appointments to keep children healthier and prevent sickness from these highly contagious viruses.
“The new vaccine will also help the health service move its focus from sickness to prevention, and keep more children safe and in school”. NHS England has announced that children born on or after 1 January 2025 will be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and 18 months.
Those born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024 will receive two doses at 18 months and three years and four months.
Children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024 will be offered a single dose at three years and four months. Additionally, the NHS is planning a one-dose catch-up programme later this year for children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, commented: “With a vaccine now being introduced into the NHS childhood vaccination programme starting today, I hope parents will make it one of their New Year resolutions to ensure their child takes up the offer, when invited.
“This vaccine has been used extensively for many years in a number of countries and has been shown to be highly effective with a good safety profile. The programme will have a really positive impact on the health of young children”.
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