ADDING THE CHICKENPOX vaccine to Ireland’s childhood immunisation programme would be “safe” and “cost effective”, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has recommended. 

The Department of Health had requested that Hiqa conduct an assessment of adding the vaccine to the programme. 

Hiqa’s review has found that there is “clear and consistent evidence from a strong evidence base that the chickenpox vaccine is both safe and effective in preventing chickenpox and its complications”. 

“Adding the chickenpox vaccine to the childhood immunisation programme is likely to be cost effective,” it said. 

The health watchdog carried out a review of international practices and found that while some countries have offered the vaccine as part of their childhood immunisation programmes for many years, the dosing schedules vary. 

Chickenpox is a common, highly infectious disease mainly affecting children less than 10 years old.

While most children are only unwell for a short period, chickenpox can result in long-term skin scarring and, less commonly, serious complications.

Of the 58,000 cases of chickenpox every year in Ireland, approximately one in 250 cases will be hospitalised with associated complications.

Around one third of people who have had chickenpox will develop shingles at some point during their lifetime due to reactivation of the virus.

“One-dose of the vaccine will reduce severe disease including hospitalisations and overall occurrences. Two doses have the potential to further reduce the number of cases and eliminate chickenpox,” Hiqa chief scientist Dr Conor Teljeur said.

“We found that vaccination against chickenpox is likely to represent a good use of healthcare resources,” Dr Teljeur said.

“When societal costs, such as leave from paid work to care for sick children, are considered, we found that vaccination would be cost saving.”

“Adding the vaccine to the childhood immunisation schedule would cost between €13 million and €28 million over the first five years, depending on whether one or two doses are given.”

Further information in relation to chickenpox is available on the HSE’s website.