GPs to offer chickenpox vaccine to babies at 12 months

Babies born from this month onwards will now be offered the chickenpox vaccine, which is being added to the HSE immunisation scheme.

The vaccine will be given by GPs to babies at the age of 12 months as part of the routine primary childhood vaccination programme.

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus and is highly contagious.

The disease is characterised by a skin rash that results in itchy blisters.

The vaccine had been recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.

Public health specialists said that many parents may consider chickenpox to be a mild illness.

However, for some babies it can be serious and in rare cases fatal.

Last year, chickenpox resulted in 170 cases being hospitalised, the highest number in recent years.