Chickenpox vaccination programme to begin in January

A chickenpox vaccine will be offered to children aged between 12-and-18-months-old from January, Wales’ health secretary has announced.

It comes two years after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the introduction of a chickenpox vaccination programme for children.

Chickenpox, formally known as varicella, is a very common, but highly-contagious infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus.

While it affects most children, it can be caught for the first time at any age.

Most chickenpox cases in children are mild, but some children can develop complications from the illness, which can result in hospitalisation, or on rare occasions, death.

The JCVI has recommended chickenpox vaccinations be offered in two doses at 12-months-old and 18-months-old, using the combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine.

The vaccination programme also includes a catch-up vaccine for children up to the age of six-years-old.

In a statement, health secretary Jeremy Miles said: “There is evidence from other countries that vaccination can decrease the number of cases of varicella and prevent severe cases and other serious complications.”

He confirmed NHS Wales will begin planning for the introduction of the new vaccination programme, and continued: “The introduction of the varicella programme will align with the planned childhood immunisation schedule changes in January 2026, which is when the new 18-month varicella vaccination appointment will be introduced.

“Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent many infectious diseases, providing protection for individuals and wider protection for their communities.

“The introduction of new vaccination programmes gives us hope that disease and infection can be further reduced, both protecting our citizens and reducing pressure on our health service.”