What is chickenpox and who can get the NHS vaccine?

For the first time in England, young children are being offered protection against chickenpox on the NHS.

It will be added to the list of standard childhood vaccinations from the beginning of January, and there will also be a catch-up program for older children.

Varicella It is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV)..

The virus is transmitted through direct contact between people or through airborne droplets from coughs and sneezes.

It’s very easy to catch, especially if you’ve never had one before.

Although it mostly affects children (about half have had it by their fourth birthday), people of all ages can get it.

Initial symptoms include fever, muscle aches and pains, and feeling generally unwell.

After a few days, an itchy, spotty rash appears.

These red or pink spots can appear anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth.

Some children may have only a few spots, but others may have it covered from head to toe.

The stains fill with liquid and become blisters, which then crust over to form crusts that eventually fall off and clear.

You are contagious and can spread chickenpox to others from two days before the first spots appear until a complete scab has formed (usually five days after they first appear).

Protection against chickenpox is offered by a new combination vaccine called MMRV, which will replace MMR. This combination vaccine helps protect against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox).

Children born after January 1, 2026 will automatically be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 and 18 months.

A catch-up schedule will offer older children one or two doses, depending on their birth date:

• children born On or after January 1, 2025 Two doses will be given, one at 12 months and the other at 18 months.
• children born Between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 Two doses will be given, one at 18 months and the other at 3 years and 4 months.
• children born Between September 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024 A single dose will be given in 3 years and 4 months
• children born Between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2022 Single dose will be available in late 2026

GP surgeries will contact families to arrange an appointment when vaccinations are due.

Experts say adding chickenpox vaccine official NHS childhood immunization program It will significantly reduce the number of people getting chickenpox and lead to far fewer serious cases.

The vaccine does not guarantee lifelong immunity, but it greatly reduces the risk of someone developing chickenpox or having a bad case.

Serious side effects such as severe allergic reaction are very rare.

It is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened version of the chickenpox virus. For this reason, it is not recommended for people with weakened immune systems due to a disease such as HIV or a treatment such as chemotherapy.

The move puts the UK on par with other countries that already offer routine chickenpox vaccination, including Germany, Canada, Australia and the US.

It was previously thought that vaccinating children against chickenpox would cause a problematic increase in shingles-related disease, but a recent long-term study in the US has disproved this theory.

The committee that advises the government on vaccines – JCVI – MMRV recommended for all children in November 2023.

Government Confirmation of plans to launch MMRV in August 2025None of the main childhood vaccines in England will meet their 95% uptake target in 2024/25, new data has revealed.

According to the UK Health Safety Agency, around 91.9% of five-year-olds had received a dose of MMR vaccine, which was unchanged from 2023/24 and the lowest level since 2010/11.

Most cases in children are mild, but they feel unwell and may need to go to school or nursery for a few days.

Some children will continue to develop complications.

In rare cases, chickenpox can cause swelling in the brain called encephalitis; lung inflammation called pneumonia; and stroke, which can result in hospitalization and, very rarely, death.

Chickenpox is usually more serious in very young babies and adults.

It can be dangerous during pregnancy, causing complications for both the mother and the baby.

It is possible to get chickenpox more than once, but this is very unusual.

You can’t catch shingles. This It’s an extremely painful situation. We know that some people who get chickenpox develop it later in life.

This is because when people have chickenpox, the virus remains in the body and can later reactivate, causing shingles.

This can occur, for example, if your immune system is weakened due to stress, certain conditions, or treatments such as chemotherapy.

For most people, this is a painful skin rash that appears on one side of the body, usually on the chest or abdomen.

Medication (antiviral tablets) can help speed recovery and prevent long-term problems.

A. shingles vaccine Available on the NHS for:

• Individuals who turn 65 on or after September 1, 2023
• People aged 70-79 who have not yet been vaccinated
• People over 50 with severely weakened immune systems

You can get shingles more than once, so it’s important to get vaccinated even if you’ve already had it.

If you get shingles after getting vaccinated, the symptoms may be much milder.