Chickenpox vaccines for young children start across UK

What’s Happening

Alright so For the first time, children will be offered vaccination on the NHS against the common infection which, in rare cases, can be serious.

Chickenpox vaccines for young children start across UK 6 hours ago Save Philippa Rox Mundasad Health reporters Save All young children in the UK can now be offered protection against chickenpox for the first time on the NHS. The vaccine will be combined with the existing MMR jab, given at 12 and 18 months of age, which already helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella. (it feels like chaos)

Children up to the age of six can catch up on doses when invited.

The Details

The experts say the new, combined vaccine called MMRV, where V stands for varicella - another name for chickenpox - is expected to reduce the many thousands of families affected each year and prevent the most severe cases. Until now, parents have had to pay up to £200 to buy a vaccine privately to protect their children.

From 1 January, the MMRV vaccine will be introduced into the standard list of childrens vaccinations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Scotland announcing a rollout start date in early January . What is chickenpox and how can I get my child vaccinated?

Why This Matters

Chickenpox is common in young children. The main feature is an itchy, spotty rash which blisters then scabs over. It can be painful, and cover the body from head to toe.

Health experts are weighing in on what this means for people.

Key Takeaways

• Children often feel unwell for several days, with a fever and muscle aches.
• Some 90% of children under the age of 10 catch chickenpox at some point, and a week off school or nursery is fairly common.
• But it can develop into something more severe, warns Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency.

The Bottom Line

“For some babies, young children and even adults, chickenpox can be serious, leading to hospital admission and tragically, while rare, it can be fatal,” she dropped. Complications can include bacterial infection of scabs, and much more rarely, a swelling of the brain known as encephalitis, lung inflammation known as pnemonitis, and stroke.

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