Babies as young as 12 MONTHS should be vaccinated against chickenpox on the NHS, health bosses rule in major new guidance that could see 7million children under-11 also jabbed
Babies should be offered a chickenpox vaccine, government advisers ruled today.
Under a huge proposed shake-up to the NHS childhood immunization calendar, children would be routinely offered two doses at 12 and 18 months old.
Health experts have also recommended that ministers launch a catch-up campaign for up to 7 million toddlers and older children.
Department of Health bosses will now consider the recommendations – which health chiefs hope will make chickenpox ‘a problem of the past’ – before making a final decision.
From now on, parents who want their child to be vaccinated against chickenpox will have to pay up to £150 privately. Some throw ‘parties’ so that their children become infected and build up some immunity.
About 20 people die every year in Britain from chickenpox. Hundreds of babies are hospitalized due to severe symptoms.
Data shows the jab, which would be given in two doses at 12 and 18 months, would reduce the transmission of chickenpox and prevent the most severe cases in children, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) said.
Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, and it is normally a mild and relatively harmless illness that causes a rash
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which advises the government, says this would lead to ‘far fewer’ serious cases.
Britain would also be brought into line with the US, Germany, Canada and Australia if the move goes ahead.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, chairman of the JCVI, said: ‘Chickenpox is well known and most parents are likely to regard it as a common and mild disease among children.
‘But for some babies, young children and even adults, chickenpox or its complications can be very serious, resulting in hospitalization and even death.
‘Adding the varicella vaccine to the childhood immunization program will dramatically reduce the number of cases of chickenpox in the community, leading to far fewer of those tragic, more severe cases.
“We now have decades of evidence from the US and other countries showing that introducing this program is safe, effective and will have a truly positive impact on the health of young children.”
Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, and it is normally a mild and relatively harmless illness that causes a rash.
It usually goes away on its own within a few days.
Soothing creams can soothe the itching and paracetamol can relieve the pain.
However, scientists are concerned after the number of chickenpox cases fell during the Covid pandemic due to lockdowns and social distancing.
As a result, there is now a larger group of children than normal without immunity to the disease, which could prove much more serious if caught at an older age.
The JCVI believes that a catch-up program would protect children from the infection, as chickenpox can become more serious with age.
It was not explained exactly to whom the shots should be offered.
But a report outlining the recommendation said: ‘Early findings suggest that a universal catch-up vaccination program with a single dose of vaccine is likely to be cost-effective for children up to five years of age.’
It said further research was needed to understand whether a targeted program “could be cost-effective for children aged six to 11.”
A vaccine to protect against chickenpox has been available since 1984.
Currently on the NHS the jabs are only available to some adults and children, such as those who are not immune and are in close contact with someone with a weakened immune system.
It is available privately from pharmacies such as Boots and Superdrug for around £65 per dose – two are needed – and in private clinics.
Plans to launch a vaccination campaign were put on hold at the start of the Covid pandemic after advisers were told to reprioritise.
Similar discussions took place in 2010, but were shot down by experts who worried that such a campaign would not be cost-effective because it could lead to an increase in shingles in middle-aged adults.
However, recent studies have suggested that vaccinating children will not increase the risk of shingles.
A key concern is that poor vaccine uptake could increase the number of serious cases of chickenpox in Britain, as children without a jab are less likely to catch the virus when they are young.
In Germany, the vaccine was introduced in 2004 and led to a 65 percent drop in cases in the first six years.
The US implemented a vaccination campaign in 1996 and has since seen a 90 percent drop in the number of children contracting the disease.
Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of public health programs at the UK’s Health Security Agency, said: ‘Introducing a vaccine against chickenpox would prevent most children from getting a quite nasty disease – and for those who experience more severe symptoms, this could happen . be a life saver.
‘The JCVI’s recommendations will help make chickenpox a problem of the past and bring Britain into line with a number of other countries that have well-established programmes.’
Some chickenpox patients will develop complications, including bacterial infections such as group A streptococcus.
In severe cases, it can cause swelling of the brain (encephalitis), inflammation of the lungs (pneumonitis) and stroke, which can lead to hospitalization and even death.