Free chickenpox jabs for kids

Free chickenpox vaccines for children and babies will be offered from next month, but there are no plans to extend the jabs to the rest of the population.

The free vaccine will become part of the immunisation schedule for 15-month-olds on July 1.

All children turning 11 on or after that date, who have not yet had chickenpox or been immunised, will also get a free dose.

Older children or those who don’t meet the criteria will need to buy the vaccine if they want it. One dose costs about $80.

Pharmac director of operations Sarah Fitt said the free vaccine would benefit more than 100,000 people and had been introduced as part of new clinical evidence that showed the benefits of being immunised against chickenpox, which is also known as varicella.

Previous research had shown the vaccine carried some risks that might have outweighed the benefits of a universal vaccine, Fitt said. Theoretical risks included the increased possibility of getting shingles later in life if exposed to the chickenpox virus.

That research had since been reviewed by Pharmac’s clinical advisers, who now recommend universal vaccination.

Chickenpox can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and problems with the kidneys, heart, joints or nervous system.

Chickenpox is very contagious and can be spread through the air and through an infected person touching blisters and then touching objects or people.

Teens and adults who have never had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it are recommended, but not funded, to have two doses of the vaccine. They are at greater risk of complications if they catch the disease. Chickenpox immunisation during pregnancy is not recommended.