UKHSA reports 3,037 chickenpox hospitalisations as vaccine catch-up jab begins
The UK Health Security Agency published data showing that 3,037 children under 18 were hospitalised for chickenpox in England during 2025. Over 70 percent of clinical cases reported to regional teams involved children aged five and under. The figures come from the agency's Varicella Annual Report 2025, which reflects the burden of the illness before chickenpox protection was added to the routine NHS Childhood Vaccination Programme on 1 January 2026. To address this, health authorities are launching a selective catch-up programme running from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2028. Children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 who have not had chickenpox can get a single dose of the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine. Parents are urged to check if their children are eligible. Babies under one year old cannot receive the routine jab directly and rely on herd immunity from older vaccinated children.
What was announced
The UK Health Security Agency published its Varicella Annual Report 2025 on 30 October 2026. The report details the impact of chickenpox on young people in England in the year before a vaccine was added to routine NHS schedules. In 2025, 3,037 children and young people under 18 were hospitalised for chickenpox.
Data from a sample covering about a third of GP practices in England showed over 15,000 GP consultations for the illness among under-18s. Children aged five and under accounted for more than 70 percent of all clinical chickenpox reports to regional health protection teams. Babies under one year old experienced the highest hospitalisation rate at 5.8 per 100,000, compared to 2.3 per 100,000 for children aged one to four.
What it means
Starting 1 November 2026, the NHS is opening a catch-up vaccination initiative that runs through 31 March 2028. This offers a single dose of the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) jab to children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 who have not had chickenpox. Alternatively, they can receive two doses of the varicella vaccine.
Since 1 January 2026, the MMRV vaccine has been part of the standard NHS childhood schedule, given at 12 months and 18 months. Infants under one year old cannot get the vaccine because it does not reliably create a strong immune response at that age. Instead, infants depend on herd immunity, which occurs when enough older children are vaccinated to limit the spread of the virus across the community.
What the announcement does not tell us
The UK Health Security Agency notes that its report captures only a fraction of the total national burden. Many parents manage mild chickenpox at home without seeing a doctor, meaning those cases are never logged in official records. While a sample of 439 nurseries and primary schools recorded 4,117 absences in 2025, the total number of school days missed nationwide is not stated.
The announcement does not state how many total eligible children exist in the catch-up group. It also does not explain how parents will be contacted for invitations or how many GP practices will participate in delivering the catch-up doses.
How this was written
This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is gov.uk: UK Health Security Agency’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.
Parents urged to ensure children are protected with free vaccine now available as part of NHS Childhood Vaccination Programme
Opens www.gov.uk
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