For many families in Gnosall and across the country, chickenpox has long been seen as an uncomfortable but inevitable part of childhood. New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggest it deserves to be taken a good deal more seriously than that.
The scale of the problem
The UKHSA's Varicella Annual Report 2025 covers the year before chickenpox protection became part of the routine NHS vaccination schedule. In that period, 3,037 children and young people under 18 were hospitalised with chickenpox in England. There were also more than 15,000 GP consultations recorded from a sample of roughly a third of practices across the country.
The youngest children were hardest hit. Those under five accounted for over 70% of all clinical chickenpox cases reported to regional health teams. Babies under one year old had the highest hospitalisation rates of all, nearly two and a half times higher than children aged one to four.
School and nursery absences add another layer to the picture. Within a sample of just 439 nurseries and primary schools, 4,117 absences were logged in a single year. The true national figure will be significantly higher, since many families manage chickenpox at home without seeking medical advice.
Chickenpox might seem like a mild illness that children simply have to get through, but these figures reveal the true toll this nasty disease can inflict on children especially the very young, with thousands of hospital admissions and school absences every year.
That is Dr Gavin Dabrera, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, and his message to parents is clear: vaccination is now available, and it matters.
What has changed
From 1 January 2026, chickenpox protection was added to the routine childhood immunisation schedule. It is given as part of a combined MMRV vaccine, which covers measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox). Children receive two doses, the first at 12 months and the second at 18 months, alongside their other routine vaccinations.
Babies under 12 months are not routinely vaccinated, as the vaccine does not always produce a strong immune response at that age. For the very youngest, protection relies on enough of the wider population being vaccinated to limit the spread of the virus.
The catch-up programme
A catch-up programme is now running for older children who missed out. From 1 November 2026 until 31 March 2028, a single dose of the MMRV vaccine is being offered to children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022, that is children currently aged roughly four to six, who have not previously had chickenpox or received two doses of the varicella vaccine.
If your child falls into that age group, it is worth checking whether they are eligible. The vaccine is free on the NHS.
The NHS is making it easier than ever before to get a vaccine, which is the best way we can protect children from preventable illness. Our catchup programme for MMRV jabs means children can receive protection against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella through a single vaccination, saving them from the risk of a hospital visit or something even worse.
That is Dr Amanda Doyle, Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England. Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, added her own encouragement for families to come forward.
Contact Gnosall Surgery if you think your child may be eligible. You can also check eligibility and find further information at nhs.uk.
Source: govwire.co.uk
