Chickenpox: Vaccination
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) mobile or (b) school-based vaccination programmes as part of the catch-up campaign for chickenpox vaccination.
Answered by Ashley Dalton
On 29 August 2025, the Government announced plans to introduce chickenpox (varicella) vaccination into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026. Eligible children will receive a MMRV vaccine during routine GP appointments, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
The eligibility criteria, including which age groups will receive the vaccine, will be announced ahead of the programme launch.
In line with the NHS vaccination strategy, NHS England are driving excellence in operational delivery by ensuring a high-quality core vaccination offer to eligible cohorts.
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