Source: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published on this website Monday 2 November 2026 by Jill Powell
Children aged 4 to 6 (born between January 2020 and August 2022) can get a catch-up chickenpox vaccine from next week
New figures published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the significant burden chickenpox (varicella) placed on young children in England in 2025, in the year before protection against the virus became part of the routine NHS Childhood Vaccination Programme.
The data, published in the Varicella Annual Report 2025, shows there were 3,037 hospitalisations for chickenpox among children and young people under 18.
Monitoring of around a third of GP practices across England also gave a snapshot of those affected in the community. There were over 15,000 GP consultations for chickenpox in under-18s over the course of the year, based on this sample of GP practices.
Children aged 5 and under bore the brunt of the illness, accounting for over 70% of all clinical chickenpox reports made to regional UKHSA Health Protection Teams. The highest rates of those hospitalised were among the youngest children, with those under one year old facing the greatest peak hospitalisation rates (5.8 compared with 2.3 per 100,000 among 1 to 4 year olds).
This report captures only a fraction of the true national burden of chickenpox. Last year, within a relatively small sample of 439 nurseries and primary schools 4,117 absences were recorded. Many parents also do not seek medical advice or treatment for the illness, which for many can be mild and managed at home, meaning many more cases will go unrecorded.
From 1 January 2026, protection against chickenpox has been added to the routine childhood immunisation schedule as part of a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Children are offered 2 doses, the first at 12 months old and the second at 18 months old, alongside their other routine vaccinations.
Children under 12 months are not routinely vaccinated, as the vaccine does not always produce a strong immune response at this age. Under 1s rely on indirect protection from those eligible (from 1 year of age) being vaccinated and providing ‘herd immunity’, as is also the case with measles, mumps and rubella.
A selective catch-up programme is also running from next month. From 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2028, a single dose of the MMRV vaccine will be offered to children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 who have not previously had chickenpox, or 2 doses of varicella vaccine. These children will already have been offered two MMR vaccines as part of their childhood vaccinations.
UKHSA is urging parents of eligible children to come forward for the MMRV vaccine, to protect their children from chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella - all serious illnesses that can require hospital treatment and can cause longer term health complications.
Dr Gavin Dabrera, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:
Chickenpox might seem like a mild illness that children simply have to get through, but these figures reveal the true toll this nasty disease can inflict on children especially the very young, with thousands of hospital admissions and school absences every year.
The good news is that children are now able to get protected against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella, through just two doses of the free NHS MMRV vaccine – given at 12 and 18 months. No parent wants to see their children needlessly suffering in hospital. That is why it’s so important that all parents of eligible children, as well as the older catch-up groups, get their children vaccinated as soon as invited.
Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, said:
Chickenpox can be really unpleasant for children and, in some cases, lead to serious complications. We want every child to have the healthiest possible start in life, which is why we introduced the chickenpox vaccine into the routine childhood programme.
I am encouraging every eligible family to make sure their child gets the MMRV vaccine, helping to protect them against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella.
Dr Amanda Doyle, Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said:
The NHS is making it easier than ever before to get a vaccine, which is the best way we can protect children from preventable illness.
Our catchup programme for MMRV jabs means children can receive protection against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella through a single vaccination, saving them from the risk of a hospital visit or something even worse.
So please come forward for care if you are eligible.
