From January 1, the chickenpox vaccine will be offered as part of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. The vaccine will now be MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella). This is safe and we highly recommend it. It has been used for decades in other countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and Germany.
Chickenpox, also known as varicella, spreads easily in young children. While usually a mild infection, it can lead to serious complications and can be fatal.
Children born on or after January 1 2025 will be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 and 18 months. Children born between July 1 2024 and December 31 2024 will be offered two doses (one at 18 months, and a second at 3 years and 4 months).
Children born between September 2022 and June 2024 will be offered a dose at 3 years and 4 months old, and will be part of a single dose catch-up scheme for older children.