Young children who have had either one or two doses of the MMR vaccine will still be eligible to have the new MMRV vaccine which includes protection against chickenpox, NHS doctors say
A top doctor has explained how your child can get a chickenpox jab if they’ve already had the MMR vaccine.
As of yesterday, a new MMRV vaccine which provides protection against chickenpox (varicella) is being offered to all young children, with parents urged to get in touch with their GP if they have any questions over eligibility. Children who have already had one or both MMR doses will also be included in the new MMRV vaccine programme.
It comes after guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England found a rollout of the jab would help eliminate the risks associated with the infection, which is usually mild in children but can in rare cases lead to deadly complications.
New MMRV vaccine introduced
Explaining how the chickenpox vaccine will be included along with the existing measles, mumps and rubella jab to create a new MMRV programme, Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, told the Mirror: “Vaccination against chickenpox, also called varicella, will be delivered together with the MMR as a combined MMRV vaccine.
Babies born on or after January 1, 2025, will be given the “first MMRV dose given at one year, and the second earlier new appointment at 18 months of age”, she said.
If your child has already had one dose of MMR
Children who have already had one MMR jab and were born between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 will have an extra MMRV at 18 months, and a second MMRV at three years four months.
This means they will recieve three doses of the MMR – which research has found is completely safe – and ensures they get also full chickenpox immunity through two doses.
Children born between September 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024 will meanwhile have receive the new MMRV vaccine for their next scheduled dose instead of the standard MMR booster.
This group will finish with the standard two doses of MMR protection and a dose of chickenpox protection, which NHS guidance says provides “very good protection” against severe chickenpox infections.
If your child has already had two doses of MMR
If your child is fully up to date with MMR but has never had a chickenpox vaccine, they fall into the special ‘catch-up group’.
They will be offered a single dose of the full MMRV vaccine during the catch-up campaign, which launches in November 2026.
This ensures your child will get chickenpox protection through the NHS programme without requiring a separate supply of single vaccines.
The NHS has chosen to use the combined MMRV jab for all eligible groups to simplify the rollout, with research confirming this is clinically safe.
Dr Amirthalingam said: “We will also offer a MMRV catch-up programme from November 2026 for eligible children up to six years old who have missed out.”
If you or your child haven’t had any MMR vaccines and have never had chickenpox
You should contact your GP if your child was born on or after January 1, 2020 and has never had any MMR vaccinations and has never had chickenpox, as they will be eligible for the new MMRV jab instead.
If your child was born on or before December 31, 2019, they are generally too old for the new routine MMRV programme, and will instead be offered the old-style MMR. This advice also applies to adults who were never vaccinated for MMR.
Why has the NHS rolled out the MMRV vaccine?
The new policy follows a period of extensive research by the NHS and UKHSA, and aligns the UK with other nations such as the US and Germany, where routine chickenpox vaccination has been standard for years.
NHS bosses say this will significantly reduce the number of severe cases of the disease, which can in rare cases lead to serious complications like bacterial infections or pneumonia.
Dr Amirthalingam told the Mirror that the move would have a “really positive impact on children’s health.”
She said: “It is excellent news that from January 2026 we will be protecting children against chickenpox through the NHS routine vaccination programme. While chickenpox is often mild, it can be very serious for some babies and young children, leading to hospital admission and, sadly, on rare occasions it can be fatal.
“This programme will have a really positive impact on children’s health and lead to fewer missed nursery and school days.”
