What is chickenpox and that can get the vaccine?

Young children in the United Kingdom will soon be offered a free chickenpox vaccine on the NHS.

It will be added to the list of standard childhood vaccinations from January 2026, and there will be a catch -up program for older children.

Chickenpox is a very contagious disease caused by the virus of the chickenpox zona (VZV).

The virus is transmitted by direct contact between people, or by suspended droplets in coughs and sneezing.

It is very easy to catch, especially if you have never had it before.

Although it mainly affects children – about half have had it by their fourth anniversary – people of all ages can get it.

The first symptoms include fever, muscle pain and pain and usually feel sick.

A few days later, a rash of itching and unequal appears.

These red or pink dots can appear anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth.

Some children may only have a few spots, but others can be covered from head to toe.

The spots fill with liquid and become blisters before crusting to form crusts, which end up falling and clearing.

You are contagious and can spread chickenpox to other people of two days before the development of the first spots until they all have crusts, which is generally five days after their first appearance.

Most cases in children are light, although they will not feel well and will have to miss school or crèche for several days.

Some children will continue to develop complications.

In rare cases, chickenpox can cause swelling of the brain, called encephalitis; inflammation of the lungs, called pneumonitis; And a stroke, which can lead to hospitalization and – very rarely – death.

Chickenpox is often more serious in very young infants and adults.

This can be dangerous during pregnancy, causing complications in the mother and the baby.

You can already get the chickenpox vaccine in private in the United Kingdom, at a cost of up to £ 200.

But experts say that adding the chickenpox vaccine to the official NHS infant immunization program will considerably reduce the number of people who capture chickenpox, which leads to much fewer serious cases.

The vaccine does not guarantee immunity to life, but it considerably reduces the risk that someone develop a chickenpox or to have a bad case.

The serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction, are very rare.

From January 2026, children will automatically be offered two doses at 12 and 18 months.

They will obtain the MMRV combined vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

It is a live vaccine which means that it contains a weakened version of the chickenpox virus. As such, it is not recommended for those who have an immune system compromised due to a disease such as HIV or due to treatment such as chemotherapy.

This decision will put the United Kingdom online with other countries which already offer a vaccination of routine chickenpox, including Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States.

We had previously thought that vaccination of children against chickenpox would cause a problematic increase in zona, but a recent long-term study of the United States refuted this theory.

The Committee which advises the government on vaccinations – the JCVI – recommended that all children be given to MMRV in November 2023.

He also suggested that there should be a temporary catch -up program for somewhat older children who are simply missing. The details are expected in due time.

The decision to vaccinate against chickenpox has been announced because new data has only revealed any of the main childhood vaccines in England has achieved the absorption target of 95% in 2024/25.

According to the United Kingdom, children of five% of children by five% received a dose of the ROR vaccine, unchanged from 2023/24 and the lowest level since 2010/11, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

You cannot catch the shingles. It is an extremely painful condition that can develop years after a chickenpox infection.

Indeed, when people have chickenpox, the virus remains in the body and can be reactivated later, which causes zona.

This can happen, for example, if your immune system is weakened due to stress, certain conditions or treatments such as chemotherapy.

For many, it is a painful rash – usually on the chest or abdomen – on one side of the body.

Medicine (antiviral tablets) can help accelerate recovery and avoid lasting problems.

A zona vaccine is available on the NHS for:

• people who got 65 years on September 1, 2023 or after
• people aged 70 to 79 who have not yet been vaccinated
• people aged 50 and over with a seriously weakened immune system

You can get shingles more than once, so it’s important to get vaccinated even if you’ve already had shingles.

If you get the zona after being vaccinated, the symptoms can be much softer.