Children to be offered chickenpox vaccine on NHS

The UK government has announced that starting from January 2026, the National Health Service (NHS) will offer a free chickenpox vaccine to all young children in England and Wales. This decision comes as part of a new vaccination program aimed at protecting children against the highly contagious viral infection. Chickenpox, which typically affects children, can lead to complications and in some cases, hospitalization. The introduction of the vaccine is expected to significantly reduce the number of chickenpox cases and their associated health risks. The vaccine will be offered to children as part of their routine childhood immunization schedule, making it easily accessible to families. The implementation of this program will align the UK with many other countries that have already incorporated the chickenpox vaccine into their national vaccination schemes. This move is expected to improve public health outcomes and reduce the burden on the healthcare system by preventing the spread of the disease among the younger population.