Adding a chickenpox jab to the NHS childhood vaccination schedule could end risky pox parties, experts have said.
New research suggests that about three-quarters of parents would support routine immunisation against chickenpox during childhood. The findings, published in the journal Vaccine, is based on survey results from about 600 parents assessing their attitudes to the jab.
The researchers said making chickenpox jabs routinely available would mean parents will no longer need to expose their children to “chicken pox parties”. Study author Dr Sue Sherman, reader in psychology at Keele University, said: “Although chickenpox is usually a mild illness, for some individuals it can be a severe illness, requiring hospitalisation and rarely in children, resulting in death.
