The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended the inclusion of a vaccine against varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, in the UK’s routine childhood immunisation programme. The proposal suggests administering the vaccine to all children in two doses, at 12 and 18 months of age.
The JCVI has submitted its recommendations to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which will make the final decision regarding the implementation of the programme. As part of the initial rollout, the committee has also suggested a temporary catch-up programme for older children. This aims to provide protection to individuals who lack immunity due to reduced chickenpox cases during the pandemic and are at greater risk of severe illness in later childhood or adulthood.
