Chickenpox vaccine programme to launch in January 2026, government confirms

Children across England will be offered the chickenpox vaccine for the first time from 2026 as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule, the government has confirmed.

This change, which was first hinted at in the GP Contract earlier this year, will be offered across GP practices through the NHS in England.

Eligible children will be offered a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine during general practice appointments, with the rollout expected to protect around half a million children every year, the government has said.

Until now, parents wanting to vaccinate their children privately have paid around £150 for the two-dose vaccine course.

Related Article: Mythbuster: ‘Chickenpox is only a mild childhood illness, there’s no need to vaccinate children against it’

Preventing school sickness and saving money

Chickenpox is the first new disease to be added to the NHS’s routine childhood immunisation schedule since the MenB vaccine was introduced in 2015.

It is hoped this will reduce the number of school and nursery absences, as well as the amount of time parents take off to care for sick children.

The government estimates that chickenpox-related childhood illness is estimated to cost the UK economy £24m annually in lost income and productivity.

Health officials also believe the vaccine will reduce pressure on the NHS, saving around £15m per year in treatment costs for the illness.

‘The power to protect’

Minister of state for care, Stephen Kinnock, said the vaccine rollout will give parents ‘the power to protect’ children from the potentially dangerous illness.

‘This vaccine puts children’s health first and gives working families the support they deserve. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to give every child has the best possible start in life, and this rollout will help do exactly that,’ Mr Kinnock said.

Complications from chickenpox can include serious infections including brain and lung inflammation, and in some rare cases, stroke.

Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said the government will work with GP surgeries and vaccination teams to ensure the rollout is effectively delivered in the new year.

Related Article: No extra testing needed for notifying chickenpox cases, guidance says

‘The MMRV vaccine rollout forms part of the government’s overall aim to ensure young people thrive, as part of the 10 Year Health Plan,’ she said.

The move to add the MMRV vaccine to the NHS schedule follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), based on growing evidence of the burden of severe chickenpox cases on children and healthcare services.

The vaccine has been used for decades in countries including the United States, Canada, Germany and Australia.

It has been shown to significantly reduce the number of cases and related hospitalisations.

Related Article: CPD: Case by case – routine childhood vaccinations

The eligibility criteria for children will be published in due course in clinical guidance covering which age groups will get the MMRV vaccine and when, to ensure the most effective protection for children.

In February 2023, a study from University College London and Keele University found around three quarters of UK parents supported the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine in the routine childhood vaccination schedule.

This month, the government also confirmed that the shingles vaccine will be offered to hundreds of thousands more immunosuppressed adults from next week.