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Thousands of children in England will soon be offered a vaccine to protect against chickenpox for the first time, as the country aims to boost children’s health and cut treatment costs.

The United Kingdom’s government said that beginning in January, general practitioners will offer children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella, which is the clinical term for chickenpox.

It said the move was part of its plan to “raise the healthiest generation of children ever”.

Around half a million children will be eligible each year for the jab, which will be included in the National Health Service’s (NHS) routine vaccination schedule.

England will join countries such as Germany, Canada, the United States, and Australia, which already offer the vaccine on a routine basis.

“We now have extensive experience from a number of countries showing that the vaccine has a good safety record and is highly effective,” Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said in a statement.

“The programme will have a really positive impact on the health of young children and also lead to fewer missed nursery and school days,” Amirthalingam added.

Childhood chickenpox causes an estimated £24 million (€27.8 million) in lost income and productivity every year in the UK, the government said.

The vaccine rollout is also expected to save the cash-strapped NHS £15 million (€17.4 million) per year in treatment costs.

Chickenpox, which is caused by the same virus that causes shingles, typically affects children ages two to eight. Symptoms include rash, fever, headache, fatigue, and blotchy skin, and most people recover quickly.

However, babies, adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications such as pneumonia, liver problems, brain swelling known as encephalitis, and congenital varicella syndrome, which causes lifelong disabilities.

Two doses of the chickenpox vaccine are highly effective at preventing both infection and serious illness.

Chrissie Jones, a professor of paediatric infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, said the UK decision will help reduce disparities in access to the jab

Private vaccinations currently cost around £150 (€174), the government said.

“For the first time all children will be able to access this vaccine whether or not their parents are able to pay for the vaccine privately,” Jones said in a statement.

Elsewhere in Europe, the chickenpox vaccine is required for babies in Hungary, Italy, and Latvia, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

It is recommended for those in Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain.