MMRV programme: information for healthcare practitioners
This guidance is for health practitioners implementing the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccination programme from 1 January 2026.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
From 1 January 2026, all children will be offered the combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age. This adds protection against chickenpox to the existing provision of protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.
This guidance for healthcare professionals describes eligibility, administration and safety, and answers frequently asked questions about the new vaccination programme.
Further resources:
- an MMRV training slideset for healthcare practitioners is available to download
- the Introduction of a routine varicella (MMRV) vaccination programme letter is also available to read
Updates to this page
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Additional section added about vaccination of children with current infection
-
First published.
Update history
2025-12-11 15:00
Additional section added about vaccination of children with current infection
2025-11-28 12:56
First published.