From January 2026, children will be offered the MMRV vaccine, protecting against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
The MMRV vaccine has been safely used for over 10 years in countries including Canada, Australia and Germany, where chickenpox cases and hospital admissions have fallen dramatically. Introducing this vaccine will also reduce missed nursery and school days for children and families.
MMRV will be offered at 12 months, with a second dose at 18 months. Children already over 18 months will be offered their second dose at the 3 years 4 months appointment.
Children born between 1 Jan 2020 and 31 Aug 2022 will be offered a single catch-up dose from November 2026. Children over 6 remain eligible for MMR.
You don’t need to do anything about this change – we will be in touch when your child is eligible for vaccination.