All young children in England and Wales will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January 2026.
It will be given as two doses, at 12 and 18 months of age, combined with the existing MMR jab which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
A catch up campaign is planned for slightly older children so they don't miss out.
Until now, parents who wanted to protect their child against the chickenpox varicella virus, which causes red itchy spots, have usually had to pay up to £200 privately.
Ministers hope offering the vaccine free will not only protect youngsters from the severe, although rare, complications of chickenpox, but also save parents taking time off work to look after a sick child.
