A chickenpox vaccine is being introduced on the NHS for the first time.
It will be administered to young children alongside the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, reports Sky.
This combined vaccination has been available for many years in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, and the decision has been welcomed by health professionals.
The rollout in the UK was advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in 2023, and from today hundreds of thousands of children in England alone will qualify, reports Sky.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it will “make a real difference for children and families”, reports Sky.
He said: “While chickenpox can be irritable and difficult for children, it can also be extremely serious and occasionally even fatal, reports Sky.
“The great thing about this new vaccine is that it combines the vaccine for chickenpox with MMR, which means that families can access this jab for their children, aged between 12 and 18 months,” reports Sky.
Children born on or after 1 January 2025 will be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and again at 18 months.
Those born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024 will receive one dose at 18 months and a second at three years and four months, reports Sky.
Children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 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 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022, reports Sky.
NHS England said GP practices will contact families as part of the standard childhood vaccination schedule.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said the jab “has been shown to be highly effective” in other countries, “with a good safety profile”, reports Sky.
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England’s national medical director, said: “This is a hugely positive moment for children and their families, providing protection against chickenpox for the first time and adding to the arsenal of routine vaccinations we give to children to safeguard them against serious illnesses,” reports Sky.
She added that the vaccine will “keep more children safe and in school”, reports Sky.
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