“Chickenpox can lead to hospitalisations from serious secondary infections or other complications”
Children in Northern Ireland will be offered a free vaccination against chickenpox for the first time from 2026, it’s been announced.
From January, eligible children will be offered a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) – the clinical term for chickenpox – as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule.
The rollout of the MMRV vaccine is based on expert scientific advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), following research showing the significant impact of severe cases of chickenpox on children’s health, hospital admissions and associated costs.
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Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, said: “We are empowering parents to safeguard their children against chickenpox and its potentially serious complications with a vaccine, which has been proven safe and effective in other countries across the world.
“This vaccine prioritises children’s wellbeing and will reduce school and nursery absences, while supporting parents by minimising the need for take time off work to care for sick children. I am committed to ensuring every child receives the best possible start in life, and the introduction of this vaccine into the routine childhood vaccination schedule will help achieve this.”
Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride added: “Chickenpox is a highly contagious infectious disease. While most cases of chickenpox in children are relatively mild, many children are unwell for several days and in some cases, chickenpox can lead to hospitalisations from serious secondary infections or other complications.
“Immunisation is one of the most effective ways of preventing illness from infectious disease. I encourage parents and guardians of those eligible to avail of the vaccination, when invited to do so, to help protect their children from this disease.”
The chickenpox vaccine has been safely used for decades and is already part of the routine vaccine schedules in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, a DoH spokesperson said.
This is the first time protection against another disease has been added to the routine childhood vaccination programme since the MenB vaccine in 2015.
The eligibility criteria for children will be set out in clinical guidance covering which age groups will be offered the MMRV vaccine and when, to ensure the most effective protection for children. As with other childhood immunisations, parents will be contacted to arrange an appointment if their child is eligible.
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