England’s National Health Service (NHS) will offer the chickenpox vaccine to children from January 2026, marking the first time the jab has been included on the health service.
The vaccine, also named the varicella jab owing to the medical term for chickenpox, will be added to the existing MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. This will create a new MMRV vaccine, a combined shot protecting against all four diseases.
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According to the UK Government, the MMRV vaccine will be part of the routine infant vaccination schedule. From January 2026, GP practices will be able to administer children with the new jab as part of a two-dose programme at 12 and 18 months.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said in a statement reacting to the news: “The Childhood Vaccination Programme is one of the most important health interventions a parent can make on behalf of their child. It’s protected millions of people for decades against potentially dangerous conditions, so we’re pleased to see it being expanded to include chickenpox.”
The inclusion of the varicella vaccine into the programme marks the first addition since the MenB vaccine – protecting against meningitis and sepsis – was added in 2015.
The new drive by the government comes as childhood immunisations have hit an all-time low. Just 83.9% of five-year-olds had received both MMR doses as per NHS statistics from 2023-2024, below the 95% target set by the government.
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By GlobalDataIt’s not just the MMR vaccine suffering from low uptake, either – both MenB and DTaP/IPV/Hib/HebB uptake have also been dropping. Coverage decreased for all 14 measures the government uses to track vaccination coverage in 2023-2024.
Chickenpox is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. Infection is characterised by the presence of an itchy, spotty rash with spots appearing, then blistering and scabbing over. Though illness is usually mild, some children can develop complications such as bacterial infection. More severe complications can occur in children who are immunocompromised.
Professor Hawthorne adds: “While chickenpox will be a source of discomfort and irritation for most children, for vulnerable patients with weakened immune systems, it can have more serious effects, and the vaccine will help protect them.”
Private vaccinations for chickenpox at pharmacies and clinics currently cost around £150 for a full course of two doses. The rollout onto the NHS means the vaccination will be available free of charge to eligible children.
The government said the move would keep more children in nurseries and classrooms, along with saving the NHS the £15m it spends each year to treat the condition.
With the move, England follows similar strategies of the US, Canada, Australia, and Germany, all of which have introduced the vaccine into routine immunisation schedules.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “We now have extensive experience from a number of countries showing that the vaccine has a good safety record and is highly effective. The programme will have a really positive impact on the health of young children and also lead to fewer missed nursery and school days.”
