Should more countries vaccinate children against chickenpox?

Some countries are concerned that vaccinating children could lead to a rise in severe chickenpox cases among older unvaccinated people. But a new study suggests that routinely immunising children could cut the number of people who die from the infection across all ages

By Clare Wilson

5 April 2023

A child in Seattle, Washington, receives a chickenpox vaccine in 2019. The US, among other countries, offers a routine chickenpox vaccine to children, unlike countries such as the UK and Denmark

Vaccines sometimes generate ill-founded health scares, but whether to immunise against chickenpox has been the subject of genuine medical debate.

It is a routine childhood jab in some countries – including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and about half of Europe – but hold-outs include the UK, Denmark, France, Portugal and several Scandinavian nations. There are concerns that while introducing the childhood vaccination would be beneficial for those who receive it, it may be detrimental for others, such as older people at risk of shingles.

Fortunately, growing evidence suggests that such harms aren’t materialising. What’s more, an analysis published today finds that, overall, the vaccine does more good than harm. So, is it time for the chickenpox vaccine-resistant countries to come round?

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Chickenpox is caused by a highly infectious virus called varicella zoster. In the absence of vaccination, most people get infected in childhood and usually have a mild illness, with the main symptoms being an itchy, blistering rash.

In fact, the younger a person is when they catch it, the milder their experience tends to be. Some families even deliberately expose their children to others who are infected to “get the illness over with”.

But the virus can occasionally cause severe symptoms – for instance, if it triggers bacterial infections – and can even be fatal, especially in those with weak immune systems.