More than 3,000 children and young people in England were hospitalised with chickenpox, prompting health chiefs to urge parents to vaccinate their children against the disease.
New figures show there were 3,037 hospitalisations for chickenpox (varicella) among under-18s. Monitoring of around a third of GP practices across England also recorded more than 15,000 GP consultations for chickenpox in under-18s over the course of the year, based on that sample.
Youngest children hardest hit
Children aged five and under bore the brunt of the illness, accounting for over 70% of all clinical chickenpox reports made to regional UKHSA Health Protection Teams. The highest rates of hospitalisation were among the youngest children, with those under one year old facing the greatest peak hospitalisation rates (5.8 compared with 2.3 per 100,000 among 1 to 4 year olds).
However, the report captures only a fraction of the true national burden of chickenpox. In a relatively small sample of 439 nurseries and primary schools, 4,117 absences were recorded last year. Many parents do not seek medical advice or treatment for the illness, which for many can be mild and managed at home, meaning many more cases go unrecorded.
Vaccination rollout and catch-up programme
From 1 January 2026, protection against chickenpox has been added to the routine childhood immunisation schedule as part of a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Children are offered two doses, the first at 12 months old and the second at 18 months old, alongside their other routine vaccinations.
Children under 12 months are not routinely vaccinated, as the vaccine does not always produce a strong immune response at this age. Under-ones rely on indirect protection from those eligible (from 1 year of age) being vaccinated and providing herd immunity, as is also the case with measles, mumps and rubella.
A selective catch-up programme is also running from next month. From November 1, 2026 to March 31, 2028, a single dose of the MMRV vaccine will be offered to children born between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2022 who have not previously had chickenpox, or two doses of varicella vaccine. These children will already have been offered two MMR vaccines as part of their childhood vaccinations.
Doctors' warning and NHS advice
Dr Gavin Dabrera, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "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. The good news is that children are now able to get protected against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella, through just two doses of the free NHS MMRV vaccine – given at 12 and 18 months. No parent wants to see their children needlessly suffering in hospital. That is why it’s so important that all parents of eligible children, as well as the older catch-up groups, get their children vaccinated as soon as invited."
Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, said: "Chickenpox can be really unpleasant for children and, in some cases, lead to serious complications. We want every child to have the healthiest possible start in life, which is why we introduced the chickenpox vaccine into the routine childhood programme. I am encouraging every eligible family to make sure their child gets the MMRV vaccine, helping to protect them against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella."
According to the NHS, chickenpox is a common infection that spreads easily and mostly affects children. It usually gets better on its own after 1 to 2 weeks without needing to see a GP, but can be serious in some people. The main symptom is an itchy, spotty rash that can be anywhere on the body. Before or after the rash appears, there might also be a high temperature, aches and pains, generally feeling unwell, and loss of appetite. Chickenpox happens in 3 stages, but new spots can appear while others are becoming blisters or forming a scab. Those with chickenpox need to stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab, usually 5 days after the spots first appeared.
