Families with young children in the South West, and across England, will now be offered protection against chickenpox as part of their routine childhood vaccinations.

The NHS’s vaccination programme is being expanded to include chickenpox for the first time to help shield young children from getting seriously ill.

Following a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations, GP practices will be able to offer children the chickenpox vaccine from January, combining it with the previous MMR vaccine.

The combined ‘MMRV’ vaccine will now provide protection against chickenpox (also known as varicella) as well as the three other serious diseases which the MMR vaccine protected against: measles, mumps, rubella.

Chickenpox is a common infection in children that spreads easily. It is usually mild but can lead to serious complications which need hospitalisation, including chest infections and fits.

Dr Trevor Smith, Regional Medical Director for NHS England South West said: “Being able to provide protection for children against chickenpox for the first time on the NHS is truly a historic moment.

“Building on the existing programme of routine vaccinations we provide for children to protect them against serious illnesses, this combined vaccine will now protect against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox and will be available for children as part of their usual vaccination schedule.

“This will help us keep our children healthier, enabling them to stay in school and supporting the wider NHS goal of moving from sickness to prevention.”

The latest data indicates that half of children will contract chickenpox by the age of four, and 90% by the age of ten.

Children who catch chickenpox are typically advised to stay off school until all spots have formed a scab, which is usually five days after the spots appear. The new vaccine will mean children miss fewer days in nursery or school and reduce time parents need to take off work to care for them.

Research shows that chickenpox in childhood results in an estimated £24 million in lost income and productivity every year in the UK and, alongside cutting this, the rollout is expected to save the NHS £15 million a year in costs for treating the common condition.

Dr Georgina Angel, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for NHS England South West said: “Each year hundreds of children in the South West contract chickenpox, resulting in them having to miss school or nursey, and in some cases, having to be hospitalised.

“By offering this historic vaccination as part of our routine childhood immunisation programme, children will not only be protected from a potentially serious disease, but it will also save families from the disruption and distress it can cause.

“We know that vaccines save lives, so I am urging all parents to please take up this offer and protect their children as soon as their GP contacts them.”

Children born on or after 1 January 2025 will be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and 18 months, while children born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024 will be offered two doses at 18 months and 3 years, 4 months.

Children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024 will be offered one dose at 3 years 4 months, and the NHS is also planning a single-dose catch-up programme later in the year for older children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine were previously offered to children at 12 months and at 3 years, 4 months of age but the second dose will be brought forward to 18 months for children born on or after 1 July 2024 to provide them with earlier protection.

Dr Alasdair Wood, Consultant in Health Protection and Vaccine Preventable Disease Lead at UK Health Security Agency South West, said: “We are really pleased that this vaccine will help protect young children here in the South West. Although chickenpox is usually a mild illness, it can, in rare cases, be very serious for some babies, young children and even adults.

“Even a mild case can have a significant impact on busy families, as parents may need time off work to care for their sick child, and children miss valuable time at school and nursery.

“The chickenpox vaccine is combined with MMR, meaning your child will get protection against four serious diseases – measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. This MMRV vaccine has been used extensively for many years in a number of countries and has been shown to be very safe and effective. It is now part of the routine NHS childhood vaccination schedule, and we are excited to have this extra protection for children and families in the South West.”

The combined MMRV vaccine has been safely used for decades and is already part of the routine vaccine schedules in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, which have all seen substantial decreases in cases and related hospital admissions since introducing their vaccination programmes.

Local GP surgeries will be contacting families from today to let them know when they are due their vaccinations and can book their child for their appointment, usually by letter, text message, phone call or email.