The chickenpox vaccine is not part of the UK childhood vaccination programme, because experts think that introducing a chickenpox vaccination for children could increase the risk of shingles in older people. It is used to protect people who are most at risk of a serious chickenpox infection.
Chickenpox is usually a mild illness, particularly in children. The condition is so common in childhood that 90% of adults who grow up in the UK are immune to the chickenpox virus because they have had it before.
Chickenpox vaccine
The chickenpox vaccine can be used to immunise people who may pass the infection on to someone who is at risk. For example:
- healthcare workers who are not immune to chickenpox
- people in close contact with someone who has a weakened immune system
For more information, see Who can have the chickenpox vaccination?
Further information:
