The UK Health and Security Agency is planning to introduce a varicella (chickenpox) programme for children, among a wider set of changes to the routine childhood immunisation programme – described as one of the most significant changes to the programme in decades.
This year will also see the introduction of a Men B vaccine to prevent gonorrhoea in those at highest risk of infection, and opportunistic Mpox immunisation for gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men.
The Agency has thanked all those involved in the 2024 vaccination campaigns, which included expansion of the shingles programme and the introduction of RSV vaccinations for older adults (including a catch up programme for those aged 75 to 79) and pregnant women. So far, more than 1.2 million vaccines have been given to older adults, and nearly 91,000 to pregnant women.
UKSHA said: ‘Delivering the national immunisation programme is never easy but the impact that it has on protecting the population is immense and it is definitely worth it. It can be challenging and at times the volume of work can seem impossible to deliver. But time after time, thanks to the expertise, commitment and dedication shown by all those who work in immunisation, day after day it gets done.’
However, latest figures show that uptake of flu vaccination in GP patients (to December 2024) was only 37.6% in those aged under years in a clinical risk group, 33.1% in pregnant women, 40.3% in children aged 2 years, and 41.6% in children aged 3 years. The figure for adults over 65 years was 73.0%.
