Children across the UK will receive chickenpox shots for the first time as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme, aiming to minimise hospital admissions and serious complications.
From today, January 2, 2026, hospitals will start providing a combined Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMRV) vaccine to children at 12 months and 18 months, the added vaccine of varicella is to prevent chickenpox alongside measles, mumps and rubella.
As per the data, nearly nine in 10 children often contract it before the age of 10, and some develop severe complications such as chest infections, seizures and bacterial infections.
Notably, nearly 20 children lose their lives every year from chickenpox across the country.
According to the government, the vaccine will help children miss fewer days of nursery or school and reduce the need for parents to take time off work.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the addition of the chickenpox vaccine would help provide reassurance to parents.
Several states, including the US, Canada, Australia and Germany, already included it as part of their campaign to reduce the admissions for chickenpox, and they successfully saw a sharp decline to 97 per cent.
Parents can schedule their appointment by letter, text, phone or email to arrange appointments.
