Free chickenpox vaccination offered for first time to children across England on the NHS.
A free chickenpox vaccination will be offered for the first time to children across England on the NHS from January 2026.
- Government to launch chickenpox vaccination programme in England from January 2026, which will protect around half a million children each year
- Eligible children will receive the vaccine during routine GP appointments, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox
- The rollout will help raise the healthiest generation of children ever, while reducing sick days and time parents take off work
Thousands of children will be protected against chickenpox for the first time in England through a new vaccination programme that will keep kids in school and parents in work while also saving the NHS vital funds.
From January next year, GP practices will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) - the clinical term for chickenpox - as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule.
It will mean kids miss fewer days in nursery and school while parents will not need to take time 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. The rollout will also save the NHS £15 million a year in costs for treating the common condition.
The chickenpox 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.
Free chickenpox vaccination offered for first time to children - GOV.UK
