Chickenpox jab to be available on NHS for families

IT WILL SAVE £150 TRIPS TO PRIVATE CLINICS OR CHEMISTS

- By STORM NEWTON

A VACCINE for chickenpox will be offered at Derbyshire GP practices from January, officials have announced.

The jab, which currently costs around £150 at private clinics and pharmacies, will form part of a new combined immunisation on the childhood vaccination programme.

Ministers hope it will not only protect some youngsters from severe complications from the virus, but also prevent parents taking time off work to look after their children when they become infected.

Chickenpox is a common childhood illness and is usually mild.

The main symptom is an itchy, spotty rash over the body, but before this appears children may have a high temperature, a loss of appetite, and may feel generally unwell.

Chickenpox usually gets better on its own within one to two weeks, although some children can develop complications such as bacterial infections like group A strep.