London: The NHS has begun rolling out a chickenpox vaccine for the first time, marking a major expansion of the UK’s routine childhood immunisation programme. The vaccine will be offered alongside the MMR jab, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, in a combined MMRV dose.
The move brings the UK in line with countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, where the combined vaccine has been available for years, and has been widely welcomed by health experts.
The rollout follows a recommendation made in 2023 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). In England alone, hundreds of thousands of children are expected to be eligible from January 2, 2026.
Hundreds of thousands of young children are now being offered the chickenpox protection as part of routine NHS childhood vaccinations.
The combined vaccine adds chickenpox protection to the existing measles, mumps and rubella schedule.
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/7ygfV3woHU pic.twitter.com/p84oz7Jitf
— NHS (@NHSuk) January 2, 2026
Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the new vaccine would “make a real difference for children and families,” noting that while chickenpox is often mild, it can sometimes lead to serious complications and, in rare cases, be fatal.
Streeting added that combining the chickenpox vaccine with the MMR jab makes it easier for families to access protection for children aged between 12 and 18 months.
Who is eligible?
- Children born on or after January 1, 2025, will be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and 18 months.
- Those born between July 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, will receive one dose at 18 months and a second dose at three years and four months.
- Children born between September 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, will be offered a single dose at three years and four months.
- A one-dose catch-up programme is also planned for children born between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2022.
NHS England said that GP practices will contact families as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule.
Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, noted that the vaccine has proven to be highly effective in other countries and has a strong safety record.
Dr. Claire Fuller, National Medical Director for NHS England, described the rollout as a ‘hugely positive moment,’ adding that it will help protect more children from chickenpox, reduce illness-related absences from school, and strengthen overall childhood disease prevention.
MOST READ | Fireworks light up the world as New Year 2026 arrives
