Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to take forward the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to introduce a vaccination programme for chickenpox.

The Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s recommendation, published on 14 November 2023, on including a chickenpox programme in the routine immunisation schedule for children.

Potential changes to the immunisation programme need to be carefully scoped, taking into account a number of factors including product procurement, operational challenges and feasibility. The Government will decide whether to introduce a chickenpox programme when that careful work has concluded.