NHS to protect children against chickenpox following vaccination schedule change

Children in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes will be offered routine immunisation against chickenpox on the NHS, following a change to the MMR vaccine.

From January 2026, eligible children will be offered the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella).  Chickenpox is a common infection which mostly affects children but spreads easily.  Although it usually gets better on its own, it can have serious consequences for some people including babies and people who have a weakened immune system.  Although most adults are immune to chickenpox, catching it while you are pregnant can be dangerous for you and your baby.

The number of doses children are given depends on when they were born.  Some older children will have already had one or two doses of the MMR vaccine which also protects against measles, mumps and rubella, but not chickenpox.  The vaccination programme will offer one or two doses of the vaccine, depending on their date of birth:

• Children born on or after 1 January 2025: one dose given at 12 months and one dose given at 18 months.
• Children born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024: one dose given at 18 months and one dose given at 3 years 4 months.
• Children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024: one dose given at 3 years 4 months.
• Children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 who have not had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine: one dose given sometime between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2028; your GP practice will contact you about this nearer the time.

Craig Lister, associate director for primary care transformation and prevention lead at Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said:

“Chickenpox can make people very ill, so I welcome the introduction of this vaccination which will help protect children and the wider community from this nasty illness.

“These changes will also see the second dose of the MMR part of the MMRV vaccination brought forward to the age of 18 months, for children who reach that age on or after 1 January 2026.  This small change will give children earlier protection, which is particularly important following outbreaks of measles in the UK over the past couple of years.”

Getting the vaccination is easy as your general practice will contact you about your child’s MMRV vaccinations, by letter, text message, phone call or email.