Chickenpox vaccines for young children start across UK
For the first time on the NHS, all young children in the United Kingdom can now be covered against chickenpox. The vaccine will be mixed with the current MMR jab, which is administered at 12 and 18 months of age, and it also helps protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. When invited, children up to the age of six will be able to get their doses. According to experts, the latest, combined vaccine, MMRV, where V stands for varicella - another term for chickenpox, is expected to reduce the many thousands of families affected by the disease each year and eliminate the most common cases. Parents have to pay up to £200 to buy a vaccine privately to shield their children until now.
The MMRV vaccine will be included in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland's standard list of children's vaccinations, beginning in January, with Scotland announcing a rollout start date in early January. Chickenpox is very common in young children. The key feature of the film is an itchy, spotty rash that blisters and scabs over. It can be painful, and it can cover the entire body from head to toe. Children often get sick for several days, with a fever and muscle aches. It also spreads easily. At any age, 90% of children under the age of ten get chickenpox, and a week off school or nursery is fairly common. However, it can escalate to something more serious, according to Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunization at the UK Health Service Agency.
she said. Bacterial infection of scabs can be present in scals, encephalitis, lung inflammation characterized as pnemonium, and stroke. Infants and adults with the disease are more likely to be seriously ill. Because of potential issues in both the mother and the unborn baby, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.Chilpox can be very infectious for some infants, young children, and adults, resulting in hospital admission and, unfortunately, even though rare, it can be lethal,
'My daughter is still living with the pain, 14 years on'
Beth Horton's daughter, who was just two-and-a-half years old when she had a stroke in the weeks after receiving chickenpox.
Ms Horton, who lives in Plymouth, said. Beth has had to live with many of the consequences ever since - she can't use her right hand, has speech difficulties, and lives in pain, according to her mother.She collapsed and her arm and leg went all floppy, and then she had a seizure,
As a mother, I would go back in time and prevent something tragic from happening to them.I know some people are reluctant about vaccines, but I bet that if I'd known years ago what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to give her the vaccine.
says the author.And if I could stop someone else from going through what Beth did,
Dr. Claire Fuller, NHS England's national medical director, said. All parents should take advantage of the vaccine, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who called the step out as aProviding coverage against chickenpox was a huge positive moment for children and their families,
from a disease thathistoric breakthrough in safeguarding our children's wellbeing
Families will save both time and money,sends thousands to hospital every year. The MMRV vaccine has been used in other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany, where the number of people receiving chickenpox has decreased dramatically and there have been fewer serious cases. The portion of the vaccine that protects chickenpox has been shown to be highly efficient - around 97% after two doses - and long-lasting. For various reasons, the United Kingdom has been lagging behind. The costs of a national vaccination scheme and a potential rise in cases of shingles have been raised, but no one has been found to be an issue after many years of vaccination in the United States. Recent studies also show the severity of the effects of chickenpox on youth and the NHS. According to NHS England, an estimated £24 million in income and productivity is lost each year in the UK due to chickenpox in childhood. It also estimates that the vaccination rollout could save NHS healthcare costs by £15 million a year. For all of those reasons, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which advises UK health authorities, has recommended the introduction of the vaccine on the NHS in November 2023.
Streeting said,no longer facing lost income from taking time off work or having to fork out for private vaccinations. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said it was
welcome newsthat a vaccine was being distributed around the UK. Similarly, the Royal College of GPs said that all NHS childhood vaccinations were safe and effective, while the jabs were "some of the most important health activities parents can make for their children.
Who can get a chickenpox vaccine, and when?
MMRV, a new, combined vaccine, is available against chickenpox, which will replace the existing MMR jab. This mixed jab protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox Children born after January 2026 will be given two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and 18 months. According to their date of birth, a catch-up service would give older children one or two doses of MMRV; children under the age of six or older on the last day of 2025 are unlikely to have had a chickenpox disease. When the vaccinations are due, GP surgery offices will notify families to schedule an appointment.
