Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of vaccinating against chickenpox.

In 2010, after carefully considering all the available evidence, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) found that offering a universal varicella vaccination programme against chickenpox would not be cost effective and may increase the risk of severe disease and complications in adulthood, both from chickenpox and shingles. The JCVI statement is available at the following link:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120907090205/http:/www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@ab/documents/digitalasset/dh_133599.pdf

The JCVI keeps all its recommendations under review and is currently considering the latest scientific evidence to establish whether a routine childhood varicella vaccination programme would be effective and of benefit in England; this includes evidence from other countries that have introduced a vaccination programme. The JCVI will make its recommendations, once it has considered all the necessary evidence.