Chickenpox vaccine being rolled out on NHS for first time

The NHS is rolling out a chickenpox vaccine for the first time in the UK, offering it alongside the MMR jab to children aged 12 to 18 months. The rollout began on January 2, 2026, targeting children born on or after January 1, 2025, who will receive two doses of MMRV at 12 and 18 months. Children born between July 2024 and December 2024 will get one dose at 18 months and another at three years, four months. A single-dose catch-up scheme is planned for children born between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2022. The vaccine combines chickenpox protection with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines, a combination already used in the US, Canada, and Australia. Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated the vaccine will make a real difference for families, while NHS England's Dr Claire Fuller noted it will keep more children safe and in school. The rollout follows a 2023 recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.