"All young children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January next year. 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. A catch up campaign is planned for slightly older children so they don't miss out."
"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. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, chickenpox causes an estimated 24m in lost income and productivity every year in the UK. Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We're giving parents the power to protect their children. "This vaccine puts children's health first and gives working families the support they deserve.""
"The announcement comes as new data revealed none of the main childhood vaccines in England reached the 95% uptake target in 2024/25. Some 91.9% of five-year-olds had received one dose of the MMR vaccine, unchanged from 2023/24 and the lowest level since 2010/11, according to the UKHSA. Chickenpox is generally mild but can be very severe for some people. Pregnant women are particularly at risk as it can cause complications for both the mother and her baby."
Young children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be offered a free two-dose chickenpox vaccine via the NHS, given at 12 and 18 months combined with the MMR jab. A catch-up campaign will target slightly older children. Previously parents often paid up to 200 privately for vaccination. Ministers expect the free vaccine to protect against rare severe complications and to reduce parents taking time off work. Chickenpox causes an estimated 24m in lost income and productivity every year in the UK. Uptake of main childhood vaccines fell short of a 95% target in 2024/25, with 91.9% of five-year-olds receiving one MMR dose.
Read at www.bbc.com
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