From January next year, GP practices will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule.

The rollout is expected to save the NHS £15m a year in costs for treating the common condition by reducing cases and protecting children from serious complications that can cause hospitalisation, such as bacterial infections like strep A, brain and lung inflammation and stroke.

The vaccine has been safely used for decades and is already part of the routine vaccine schedules in several countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and Germany.

Minister of state for care, Stephen Kinnock, said: ‘We're giving parents the power to protect their children from chickenpox and its serious complications, while keeping them in nursery or the classroom where they belong and preventing parents from scrambling for childcare or having to miss work.

‘This vaccine puts children's health first and gives working families the support they deserve. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to give every child has the best possible start in life, and this rollout will help do exactly that.'

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunisation at the UKHSA, said: ‘Most parents probably consider chickenpox to be a common and mild illness, but for some babies, young children and even adults, chickenpox can be very serious, leading to hospital admission and tragically, while rare, it can be fatal.'

Dr Amirthalingam added: ‘We now have extensive experience from a number of countries showing that the vaccine has a good safety record and is highly effective. The programme will have a really positive impact on the health of young children and also lead to fewer missed nursery and school days.'

The government's decision to roll out the MMRV vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England said: ‘We will work with vaccination teams and GP surgeries across the country to rollout the combined MMRV vaccine in the new year, helping to keep children healthy and prevent sickness from these highly contagious viruses.'

The MMRV vaccine rollout forms part of the government's overall aim to ensure young people thrive, as part of the 10-Year Health Plan. This includes expanding access to vaccines, as well as free school meals, mental health support and dental care.