Overview
- Children born on or after 1 January 2025 will receive two MMRV doses at 12 and 18 months, with tailored timings for cohorts born since September 2022.
- For those born on or after 1 July 2024, the second dose is brought forward from age 3 years 4 months to 18 months to provide earlier protection.
- The programme replaces the MMR jab with the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine in GP-led appointments.
- A one-off single-dose catch-up is planned later this year for children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022.
- Officials cite decades of safe use in the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany and project about £15m in annual NHS savings alongside an estimated £24m reduction in lost income and productivity.