Young children will now be offered protection against chickenpox as part of their routine vaccinations via the NHS. It will be music to many parents ’ ears, as chickenpox can trigger unpleasant symptoms and potentially life-threatening complications in young children. What’s more, two doses of the vaccine can cost £150 per child if you pay privately. How will the chickenpox vaccine be offered? The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles , mumps and rubella, is being upgraded to the MMRV vaccine, which protects against the aforementioned illnesses, as well as varicella (or chickenpox). How does chickenpox impact children? Varicella is a highly infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. It mostly affects children but can be caught at any age. The key symptom is an itchy, spotty rash that crusts over after a period of time. Most varicella cases in children are relatively mild and can be managed at home, however some children will go on to develop complications, including bacterial infections such as group A streptococcus. In rare cases it can cause swelling of the brain, called encephalitis; inflammation of the lungs, called pneumonitis; and stroke, which can result in hospitalisation and, in very rare cases, death. Who will be offered the new vaccine? Children born on or after 1 January 2025 will be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and 18 months. The second dose has been brought forward to provide them with earlier protection. 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. 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. Why do some kids only have one dose? You might’ve noticed that for children born before June 2024, there will only be one dose of the vaccine where varicella is included (rather than the two doses given to younger children). Addressing this, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “Parents or carers who are concerned their child will only receive one dose of a varicella containing vaccine (those born between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2024), can be reassured that a high level of vaccine effectiveness can usually be expected after one dose. “Furthermore, where children who have received only one dose of a varicella-containing vaccine go on to develop varicella infection from community exposure, the disease is usually milder than if no vaccine had been received.” The health agency continued that one dose “is extremely effective at protecting against severe varicella disease” and it is also “likely” that children in this age bracket “will have already been exposed to varicella infection”. Data indicates that half of children will contract chickenpox by the age of four, and 90% by the age of 10. That said, regardless of age, all children should receive two doses of MMR-containing vaccine, UKHSA added. Benefits of vaccinating against chickenpox 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 therefore mean children miss fewer days in nursery or school, and reduce the time parents need to take off work to care for them. On top of this, it also lessens the severity of the illness if kids do catch it – and this is important, as Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at UKHSA, reiterated: “Most parents probably consider chickenpox to be a common and mild illness, but for some babies, young children and even adults, chickenpox can be very serious, leading to hospital admission and tragically, while rare, it can be fatal.” Side effects of the MMRV vaccine As with all medicines, there is a risk of some side effects. The NHS said not everyone will get them and the most common side effects, which typically last for a couple of days, include: a raised, blotchy rash (similar to a measles rash), feeling unwell and a high temperature – this may happen about six to 10 days after the vaccination and is not infectious swelling around the face and aching in the joints (similar to mild forms of mumps or rubella) – this may happen about two to three weeks after the vaccination and is not infectious a spotty rash in the area where the injection was given (similar to a chickenpox rash) – this may happen about three to four weeks after the vaccination. The NHS said the spotty rash “may contain infectious chickenpox virus and should be covered with clothes”. As long as the spots are covered, children can go to nursery as normal. Is the vaccine safe? 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 decreases in cases and related hospital admissions since introducing their vaccination programmes. Dr Amirthalingam added: “This vaccine has been used extensively for many years in a number of countries and has been shown to be highly effective with a good safety profile. The programme will have a really positive impact on the health of young children.” Local GP surgeries are contacting families from this week to let them know when they are due their vaccinations. Related... I Can't Get A Flu Vaccine For My Toddler, So I Asked A GP What I Can Do Instead RSV Season Is Coming – What Expectant Parents Should Know About The Virus Vaccine I Asked A GP How Often To Get Covid Boosters As Variants Hit The UK