Chickenpox vaccination
Chickenpox is a very common illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The chickenpox vaccine offers effective protection for patients who have not had chickenpox before.
About the vaccine
If you are a parent or guardian of the child you are bringing in for treatment, please bring photo ID to confirm that you are a legal guardian for that child. If you do not bring the appropriate documentation required, we may not be able to provide the service required on the day. If you require more information, please email our booking line team on contact@healthclinics.superdrug.com, so that they can advise.
- Course: The course consists of two doses.
- Boosters: Once you have completed the two dose course, you won’t need further boosters.
- How it is given: An injection, usually given in the upper arm.
- Side effects: The vaccine can cause a range of mild side effects, such as fever, tiredness or digestion problems. In some cases it can cause a mild chickenpox like rash.
- Age restrictions: The chickenpox vaccine is suitable for patients from 9 months of age up to the age of 65. It is only recommended if you have not had chickenpox.
- Please note: This vaccine is not suitable for pregnant women or women who are trying for a baby. The chickenpox vaccination should be administered on the same day as the MMR jab, or allow at least a 4 week gap in-between these vaccinations.
Prices
| Per Dose | £75 |
| Doses per course | 2 |
| Price per course | £150 |
How it Works
Frequently Asked Question
What is chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a very common illness. It is caused by a virus and most people catch it during their childhood. If you haven’t had chickenpox as a child you can still get it as an adult. Chickenpox is also referred to as varicella, which is the name of the virus that causes it.
Although it’s not usually dangerous, chickenpox can be very unpleasant as it causes an itchy rash and a fever. In most cases, the symptoms clear within a week.
The virus can be dangerous for patients with an impaired immune system, newborn babies and pregnant women.
Once you have had chickenpox, you’re usually immune for life but you could develop shingles at a later point in life.
The chickenpox vaccine is not currently part of the national vaccine schedule in the UK but it has been given routinely in a number of countries around the world, such as the USA and Germany.
How the vaccine works?
The chickenpox vaccine offers effective protection against chickenpox.
It belongs to a group of vaccines referred to as “live” vaccines. This means, that it contains a weakened version of the virus that causes chickenpox. The vaccine causes your immune system to react to the vaccine. As a result, you’ll be immune to it if you catch the virus at a later date.
It does not protect against similar viruses, such as the herpes virus. It also doesn’t protect against shingles. In order to prevent shingles, you can get a shingles vaccination.
You need two doses to be protected, for children aged 9 months to 12 months the 2 doses should be 12 weeks apart; for individuals aged 12 months of age or older, and adults, the 2 doses should be 4-8weeks apart. Once you have completed the course, you won’t need further boosters.
If you have been exposed to the chickenpox virus the vaccine will still prevent it if you get vaccinated within three days of exposure.
Side effects of the vaccine?
The vaccine can cause redness and soreness where you have received the jab.
It is also possible that it will cause a mild rash – one in ten children and one in ten adults who receive the vaccine experience this side effect. This rash is not contagious and it should pass quickly.
The only serious known side effect is an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Allergic reactions to the chickenpox vaccine are extremely rare and believed to affect around one in a million patients who receive the vaccine.
The chickenpox vaccine is safe and has been given several million times around the world. There are no known long-term side effects.
Who can get vaccinated?
The nurse or pharmacist will provide a brief consultation and ask you a few questions to check whether the vaccine is suitable for you. If you suffer from certain medical conditions or are taking certain medications you may not be able to get the vaccination or you may need to get it at a later date.
You can’t have the chickenpox vaccine if you have previously had an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the vaccine.
The vaccine is not suitable for pregnant women or women who are trying for a baby. After receiving the vaccine, you need to use contraception for at least four weeks. The vaccine is not recommended for breastfeeding women.
If you are ill on the day of your vaccination you may need to reschedule your appointment.
Getting a flu vaccine too? The flu vaccine does not interfere with the chickenpox vaccine so you can have these at the same time or at any time interval.
Can my child still have the chickenpox vaccine if they have had chickenpox, or recently been exposed to chickenpox?
If your child has already had chickenpox, they are considered to have lifelong immunity, so there is no need for them to be vaccinated.
However, if it is unclear whether or not your child has had chickenpox, they can still be vaccinated as this can prevent future disease and it is unlikely to cause any harm even if they have had chickenpox before.
Chickenpox is transmitted directly by close contact or droplet spread and it can take several days for symptoms to develop. If you believe your child has been exposed to chickenpox and is not showing any symptoms, they may still have the vaccine. Vaccination within 3 days of exposure may help prevent chickenpox or reduce the severity of disease, resulting in fewer skin lesions and a shorter period of illness. However, there is limited information that being vaccinated up to 5 days after exposure may reduce disease severity.
