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Community Pharmacy England has indicated it will push the Government to include community pharmacies in a first ever NHS chickenpox vaccination programme which is expected to start in England in January next year.

Labour said GP practices will offer children a free jab as part of its routine childhood vaccination schedule which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Until now, vaccines for chickenpox, also known as varicella, have only been available through private providers for around £150 for two doses.

The Government said chickenpox vaccination eligibility criteria “will be set out in clinical guidance” which will cover the age groups receiving the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine and the periods vaccinations will be carried out “to ensure the most effective protection for children”.

CPE’s director of NHS services Alastair Buxton said: “Community Pharmacy England is committed to increasing the range of NHS vaccination programmes commissioned from pharmacies, including for childhood programmes.

“That is aligned with proposals in the Vision for Community Pharmacy and the aspirations of pharmacy owners. Some pharmacies are commissioned at a local level to provide MMR vaccinations and those services will likely be updated by commissioners to use the new vaccine in 2026.”

Labour said chickenpox in childhood results in £24 million in lost income and productivity every year and insisted the MMRV vaccine will reduce the number of children missing nursery and school days.

It claimed the vaccine will save the NHS £15 million a year “in costs for treating the common condition”. The Government also said the vaccine will help protect children from serious complications of chickenpox, such as bacterial infections like strep A, brain and lung inflammation and stroke.

“We’re giving parents the power to protect their children from chickenpox and its serious complications, while keeping them in nursery or the classroom where they belong and preventing parents from scrambling for childcare or having to miss work,” said the health minister Stephen Kinnock.

“This vaccine puts children’s health first and gives working families the support they deserve. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to give every child the best possible start in life, and this rollout will help to do exactly that.”