Guidance

MMRV programme: information for healthcare practitioners

This guidance is for health practitioners implementing the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccination programme from 1 January 2026.

• From: UK Health Security Agency
• Published: 28 November 2025
• Last updated: 25 August 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 25 August 2026

     Updated to reflect that the changes to this programme have been in place for a year, and to clarify common issues and frequently asked questions for healthcare professionals.

  2. 10 February 2026

     Updated to include guidance on use of ibuprofen and the administration of MMRV vaccine to a child who has continued close contact with a pregnant woman

  3. 12 January 2026

     Updated to clarify catch-up cohort eligibility and common questions about immunising children who have fallen behind on the routine schedule.

  4. 5 January 2026

     Common issue relating to IT systems resolved and removed from guidance.

  5. 17 December 2025

     New common query clarified, 'What counts as a valid second dose of MMR-containing vaccine?'

  6. 11 December 2025

     Additional section added about vaccination of children with current infection

  7. 28 November 2025

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

MMRV vaccination: information for healthcare professionals

HTML

Appendix A: MMRV eligibility tables (print)

PDF, 224 KB, 5 pages

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Details

From 1 January 2026, all children will be offered the combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age. This adds protection against chickenpox to the existing provision of protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.

This guidance for healthcare professionals describes eligibility, administration and safety, and answers frequently asked questions about the new vaccination programme.

Further resources:

• an MMRV training slideset for healthcare practitioners is available to download
• the Introduction of a routine varicella (MMRV) vaccination programme letter is also available to read