[Children to be offered chickenpox vaccine on NHS]
Not Scotland,
[All young children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
will be offered a
free chickenpox vaccine by
the NHS from January next year.
It will be given as two doses,
at 12 and 18 months of age, combined with the
existing MMR jab which protects against measles,
mumps and rubella.
A catch up campaign is planned for slightly
older children so they don't miss out.
Until now, parents who wanted to protect
their child against the chickenpox varicella virus,
which causes red itchy spots, have usually
had to pay up to £200 privately.
What is chickenpox and how can I get my
child vaccinated?
Ministers hope offering the vaccine free will not
only protect youngsters from the severe,
although rare, complications of chickenpox,
but also save parents taking time off work
to look after a sick child.]
According to the Department of Health
and Social Care, chickenpox causes
an estimated £24m in lost income
and productivity every year in the UK.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock said:
"We're giving parents the power
to protect their children. ]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c860n445vyxo