Chicken pox vaccine programme for young children rolled out in Wales

2-DOSE PROGRAMME COMBINED WITH MMR PROTECTION

- By OWEN HUGHES Chief Reporter [e-mail]

A VACCINATION programme to protect young children against chickenpox is being rolled out in Wales from today.

All children aged 12 to 18 months across the UK will be offered a vaccine for chickenpox also known as Varicella for the first time.

The programme is being introduced following advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which recommended a universal varicella vaccination programme should be introduced as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule.

The vaccine will be offered in a two-dose programme at 12 and 18 months of age using a combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine. A catch-up programme for older children up to six years old will be offered later in the year.