Children in Bedfordshire will start receiving routine protection against chickenpox from next year as part of changes to the national vaccination schedule.
From this month, eligible children will be offered the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (varicella).
Chickenpox is a common childhood infection that usually clears up on its own but can be serious for some people, including babies, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.
The number and timing of doses depend on a child’s date of birth and whether they have already had MMR:
Children born on or after 1 January 2025
- Two doses: one at 12 months and one at 18 months.
Children born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024
- Two doses: one at 18 months and one at 3 years 4 months.
Children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024
- One dose at 3 years 4 months.
Children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022
- Children in this group who have not had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine will be offered one dose between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2028. GP practices will contact families nearer the time.
Some older children will already have had one or two doses of the existing MMR vaccine, which covers measles, mumps and rubella but not chickenpox.
Earlier protection
Craig Lister, associate director for primary care transformation and prevention lead at BLMK ICB, said:“Chickenpox can make people very ill, so I welcome the introduction of this vaccination, which will help protect children and the wider community from this nasty illness.
“These changes will also see the second dose of the MMR part of the MMRV vaccination brought forward to the age of 18 months, for children who reach that age on or after 1 January 2026.
“This small change will give children earlier protection, which is particularly important following outbreaks of measles in the UK over the past couple of years.”
GP practices will contact families about their child’s MMRV vaccinations by letter, text message, phone call or email, depending on their contact preferences.
