Jersey has announced it will follow the UK by offering free chickenpox vaccinations for children as part of its routine immunisation schedule.
The jab, which is already available privately in both Jersey and Guernsey, will be combined with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and rolled out from January, according to Peter Bradley, Jersey’s director of public health.
In contrast, Guernsey has yet to make a decision. Dr Nikki Brink, the island’s public health director, said she supported the idea but stressed that there were “many competing priorities” for health funding. She confirmed that a budget request for the vaccine has been submitted for 2026, adding that, if approved, the focus would be on preventing severe illness and complications from chickenpox.