{"id":381448,"date":"2025-08-29T02:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T02:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/381448\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T02:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T02:00:17","slug":"children-offered-chickenpox-vaccine-on-nhs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/381448\/","title":{"rendered":"Children offered chickenpox vaccine on NHS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michelle RobertsDigital health editor, BBC News<\/p>\n

\"SarahSarah (Mia’s mum)<\/p>\n

Baby Mia had a bad case of chickenpox, with a skin infection that needed hospital treatment<\/p>\n

All young children in England and Wales will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January 2026. <\/p>\n

It will be given as two doses, at 12 and 18 months of age, combined with the existing MMR jab which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.<\/p>\n

A catch up campaign is planned for slightly older children so they don’t miss out. <\/p>\n

Until now, parents who wanted to protect their child against the chickenpox varicella virus, which causes red itchy spots, have usually had to pay up to \u00a3200 privately.<\/p>\n

Ministers hope offering the vaccine free will not only protect youngsters from the severe, although rare, complications of chickenpox, but also save parents taking time off work to look after a sick child. <\/p>\n

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, chickenpox causes an estimated \u00a324m in lost income and productivity every year in the UK.<\/p>\n

Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: “We’re giving parents the power to protect their children. <\/p>\n

“This vaccine puts children’s health first and gives working families the support they deserve.”<\/p>\n

Chickenpox rash<\/p>\n

Chickenpox is generally mild but can be very severe for some people.<\/p>\n

Pregnant women are particularly at risk as it can cause complications for both the mother and her baby.<\/p>\n

Very young infants and adults are also more likely to experience serious illness compared to children. <\/p>\n

In rare cases it can cause a swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, an inflammation of the lungs, called pneumonitis, and stroke, which can result in hospitalisation and, in very rare cases, death.<\/p>\n

The disease is transmitted through direct contact between people, or through airborne droplets in coughs and sneezes.<\/p>\n

Illness can start with flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature and headache.<\/p>\n

A rash appears one to three weeks after exposure. Some children might have only a few itchy, red spots, but others can be covered in them.<\/p>\n

Within a few days the spots turn into fluid filled blisters, which are contagious until they crust over to form scabs that eventually drop off and clear up.<\/p>\n

Experts say vaccination will dramatically reduce the number of chickenpox cases overall, leading to far fewer of the more serious ones. <\/p>\n

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said vaccination could be “a life saver” for some. <\/p>\n

\"SarahSarah<\/p>\n

Mia had spots all over her body<\/p>\n

Sarah, who is a mother of two girls, says the vaccine would have helped her young daughters Willow and Mia. <\/p>\n

Last year they both needed hospital treatment to recover from severe chickenpox. <\/p>\n

Her youngest, Mia, developed spots “head to toe” and had a skin infection, which made her very unwell.<\/p>\n

“She was just completely out of it…floppy.<\/p>\n

“It was just an awful situation to be in. <\/p>\n

“It was absolutely terrifying.”<\/p>\n

She said she would advise parents to consider getting the vaccine: “I would never want any child or any parent to go through what we’ve been through.”<\/p>\n

The virus that causes chickenpox – varicella zoster virus (VZV) – is extremely contagious, meaning it is very easy to catch from someone who is infected.<\/p>\n

The vaccine reduces the risk of getting it to near zero. And if you do still catch chickenpox after being vaccinated, you’ll usually have milder symptoms.<\/p>\n

Scotland and Northern Ireland are also expected to offer the vaccine on the NHS, but have not given a date yet. <\/p>\n

Shingles, a painful skin rash condition, is caused by the same virus as chickenpox.<\/p>\n

VZV stays in the body for life and can reactivate, causing shingles, if your immune defences are low.<\/p>\n

People cannot catch shingles from someone with chickenpox. But they can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if they have not had chickenpox before.<\/p>\n

It is possible but very unusual to get chickenpox more than once.<\/p>\n

A shingles vaccine is also available on the NHS for:<\/p>\n