From January 2026, all young children in England will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine on the National Health Service (NHS) for the first time. The jab, delivered in two doses at 12 and 18 months, will be combined with the existing measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. A catch-up campaign will also be rolled out for slightly older children.

Until now, parents wanting protection against the varicella virus have typically had to pay privately – often up to £200. Health officials expect the move to protect against the rare but severe complications of chickenpox, while also reducing time parents need off work to care for sick children. The Department of Health and Social Care estimates the illness costs the UK economy £24 million annually in lost income and productivity.

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “We’re giving parents the power to protect their children … This vaccine puts children’s health first and gives working families the support they deserve.”

Chickenpox is generally mild, but can cause serious complications, particularly for pregnant women, infants and adults. In rare cases, it can lead to encephalitis, pneumonitis, stroke, hospitalisation, and – very rarely – death.

The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the vaccine in late 2023, and experts say it could dramatically reduce cases. Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam of the UK Health Security Agency commented: “We now have extensive experience from several countries showing that the vaccine has a good safety record and is highly effective. The programme will have a positive impact on the health of young children and lead to fewer missed nursery and school days.”

The UK has been slower to adopt the vaccine than countries such as the US, partly due to historic concerns around shingles risk, but experts now say those fears are almost non-existent.

For insurers, the change is expected to reduce the frequency of paediatric claims abroad linked to complications of chickenpox – a common issue for young travellers.

South Korea recently reported a rise in domestic measles cases linked to overseas travel.