Health chiefs urgent warning as 3,037 children hospitalised for 'nasty disease'

Health chiefs urgent warning as 3,037 children hospitalised for 'nasty disease' Experts say children aged under 5 'bore the brunt' of the illness with those under one most likely to end up needing hospital treatment Experts have issued an urgent call to parents after figures showed more than 3,000 children and young people ended up in hospital for a common disease. While many people consider the condition little more than "a mild illness" the reality can be much worse, say doctors. The new data showed there were 3,037 hospitalisations for chickenpox - varicella - among children and young people under 18. Further monitoring of around a third of GP practices across England also gave a snapshot of those affected in the community with more than 15,000 GP consultations for chickenpox in under-18s over the course of the year, based on this sample of GP practices. However as many people with chickenpox are treated at home without medical intervention the true picture is much greater, warns the UKHSA. Now doctors are urging parents and carers to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease warning it isn't always as straightforward as people think. Dr Gavin Dabrera, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "Chickenpox might seem like a mild illness that children simply have to get through, but these figures reveal the true toll this nasty disease can inflict on children especially the very young, with thousands of hospital admissions and school absences every year. "The good news is that children are now able to get protected against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella, through just two doses of the free NHS MMRV vaccine – given at 12 and 18 months. No parent wants to see their children needlessly suffering in hospital. That is why it’s so important that all parents of eligible children, as well as the older catch-up groups, get their children vaccinated as soon as invited." Ensure our latest health news always appears at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings According to the NHS chickenpox is a common infection that spreads easily and mostly affects children. It advises: "It usually gets better on its own after 1 to 2 weeks without needing to see a GP, but can be serious in some people." The main symptom of chickenpox is an itchy, spotty rash. It can be anywhere on the body. Before or after the rash appears, there might also be: - a high temperature - aches and pains, and generally feel unwell - loss of appetite It adds: "Chickenpox happens in 3 stages, but new spots can appear while others are becoming blisters or forming a scab." It adds: "If you have chickenpox, you'll need to stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. This is usually 5 days after the spots first appeared." The figures released on Friday show children aged 5 and under bore the brunt of the illness, accounting for over 70% of all clinical chickenpox reports made to regional UKHSA Health Protection Teams. The highest rates of those hospitalised were among the youngest children, with those under one year old facing the greatest peak hospitalisation rates (5.8 compared with 2.3 per 100,000 among 1 to 4 year olds). However it warned the report captures only a fraction of the true national burden of chickenpox. It said: "Last year, within a relatively small sample of 439 nurseries and primary schools 4,117 absences were recorded. Many parents also do not seek medical advice or treatment for the illness, which for many can be mild and managed at home, meaning many more cases will go unrecorded. "From 1 January 2026, protection against chickenpox has been added to the routine childhood immunisation schedule as part of a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine. Children are offered 2 doses, the first at 12 months old and the second at 18 months old, alongside their other routine vaccinations. "Children under 12 months are not routinely vaccinated, as the vaccine does not always produce a strong immune response at this age. Under 1s rely on indirect protection from those eligible (from 1 year of age) being vaccinated and providing ‘herd immunity’, as is also the case with measles, mumps and rubella." A selective catch-up programme is also running from next month. From November 1, 2026 to March 31, 2028, a single dose of the MMRV vaccine will be offered to children born between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2022 who have not previously had chickenpox, or 2 doses of varicella vaccine. These children will already have been offered two MMR vaccines as part of their childhood vaccinations. Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, said: "Chickenpox can be really unpleasant for children and, in some cases, lead to serious complications. We want every child to have the healthiest possible start in life, which is why we introduced the chickenpox vaccine into the routine childhood programme. "I am encouraging every eligible family to make sure their child gets the MMRV vaccine, helping to protect them against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella."