NHS's vaccination programme is being expanded tooffer to offer children a combined MMRV vaccine

THE Government has announced that hundreds of thousands of families with young children will be offered protection against chickenpox as part of their routine childhood vaccinations from:- 2 January 2026.

The NHS's vaccination programme is being expanded to include chickenpox (also known as varicella) for the 1st time to help shield young children from getting seriously ill.

From now on, GP practices will start to offer children a combined MMRV vaccine at:- 12 months and 18 months of age to add chickenpox to the protections against measles, mumps and rubella.

Chickenpox is a common infection in children that spreads easily. It is usually mild, but it can lead to serious complications which need Hospitalisation, including chest infections and fits.

Children will now be offered protection against chickenpox following a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations, with a combined MMRV vaccine replacing the MMR vaccine to protect against:- measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

Research shows that chickenpox in childhood results in an estimated:- £24 million in lost income and productivity every year in the UK and, alongside cutting this, the rollout is expected to save the NHS £15 million a year in costs for treating the common condition.

Dr Claire Fuller, National Medical Director for NHS England, said:- "This is a hugely positive moment for children and their families, providing protection against chickenpox for the 1st time and adding to the arsenal of routine vaccinations we give to children to safeguard them against serious illnesses. From now, the combined vaccine to protect against:- measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox will be available at children's routine vaccination appointments to keep children healthier and prevent sickness from these highly contagious viruses. The new vaccine will also help the health service move its focus from sickness to prevention, and keep more children safe and in School."

The latest data indicates that 50% of children will contract chickenpox by the age of:- 4, and 90% by the age of:- 10.

Children who catch chickenpox are typically advised to stay off School until all spots have formed a scab, which is usually 5 days after the spots appear. The new vaccine will mean children miss fewer days in Nursery or School, and reduce time parents need to take off work to care for them.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:- "Today marks a historic milestone in protecting our children's health; for the 1st time, the NHS is offering chickenpox vaccination as part of our routine childhood immunisation programme. Many families have faced the threat of chickenpox, which can cause serious complications. The disease also brings significant worry and disruption, with children missing Nursery or School and parents forced to stay home to look after them. This new protection will reassure parents that their children are protected from a disease that sends thousands to the Hospital every year. Families will save both time and money; no longer facing lost income from taking time off work or having to fork out for private vaccinations. We are determined to give every child the best start in life. I urge all parents to take up this offer when their GP contacts them; vaccines save lives."

Children born on or after:- 1 January 2025 will be offered 2 doses of the MMRV vaccine at 12 months and 18 months, while children born between:- 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024 will be offered 2 doses at:- 18 months and 3 years, 4 months.

Children born between:- 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024 will be offered 1 dose at:- 3 years 4 months, and the NHS is also planning a single dose catch.up programme later in the year for older children born between:- 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022.

2 doses of the MMR vaccine were previously offered to children at:- 12 months, and at:- 3 years, 4 months of age, but the 2nd dose will be brought forward to:- 18 months for children born on or after 1 July 2024 to provide them with earlier protection.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, 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. Beyond the health risks, chickenpox also places a significant burden on families. Parents often need to take time off work to care for their sick child, and children miss valuable time at School or Nursery. With a vaccine now being introduced into the NHS Childhood Vaccination programme, I hope parents will make it 1 of their new year resolutions to ensure their child takes up the offer, when invited. As the vaccine is a combined vaccine with MMR, your child will be protected against 4 serious diseases:- measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. This vaccine has been used extensively for many years in a number of countries and has been shown to be highly effective with a good safety profile. The programme will have a really positive impact on the health of young children."

The combined MMRV vaccine has been safely used for decades and is already part of the routine vaccine schedules in several countries, including:- the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, which have all seen substantial decreases in cases and related Hospital admissions since introducing their vaccination programmes.

Local GP surgeries will be contacting families from today to let them know when they are due their vaccinations and can book their child for their appointment, usually by:- letter, text message, phone call or email.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's President, Professor Steven Turner, said:- "It is welcome news that a chickenpox vaccine is now being rolled out across England and the whole of the UK in order to protect children and young people. Vaccinations are proven to be a very effective way to protect children's health and prevent serious illness. Making sure your child is vaccinated is a vital step for parents and carers in keeping them safe."

For more information please go to:- NHS.UK.

UK Government's announcement of new powers to seize illegal migrant phones

ORGANISED criminals fuelling illegal migration can be intercepted faster than ever before as new offences come into force on:- Monday 5 January 2026.

UK law enforcement agencies:- NCA, Police, and Immigration Enforcement, now have the power to seize electronic devices like mobile phones and SIM cards from illegal migrants without needing to arrest them, to gather intelligence to track down and arrest people smugglers.

Phone seizures will begin at Manston short term holding facility from:- Monday, 5 January 2026, with technology on site ready to download intelligence from seized devices. The National Crime Agency, Police and other Immigration Enforcement Officers have also been given the new power, allowing seizures to take place in a range of settings including:- during property or vehicle searches and raids.

Officers can also require illegal migrants to remove an:- outer coat, jacket or gloves, and conduct searches inside someone's mouth for a hidden SIM card.

Marking a crucial step in the fight against people smuggling, law enforcement can now charge suspects for:- moving, storing or supplying items like boat engines, used to bring migrants illegally to the UK, with offenders facing 14 years behind bars.

Smugglers downloading, researching and recording information to facilitate illegal migration will also face up to:- 5 years imprisonment. This could include downloading a map on where to launch a small boat to avoid detection or researching the best places to buy equipment to construct a small boat.

The new laws also make it a criminal offence to import, manufacture or supply compartments that modify a vehicle, like fake floors for a van or a lorry to hide migrants underneath; offenders could receive up to 5 years in prison.

Like the approach taken by Counter Terrorism Police, these offences mean law enforcement can intercept a gang network's operation and strike at an earlier stage than previously possible, to catch and arrest smugglers before lives are put at risk.

The National Crime Agency say the new powers could help speed up investigations in cases where it might previously have taken months or even years to prove offences.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said:- "We promised to restore order and control to our borders, which means taking on the people smuggling networks behind this deadly trade. That is exactly why we are implementing robust new laws with powerful offences to:- intercept, disrupt and dismantle these vile gangs faster than ever before and cut off their supply chains. These operational measures sit alongside sweeping reforms to the system, to make it less attractive for migrants to come here illegally and remove and deport people faster."

Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, Border Security Commander, said:- "Criminal smuggling gangs facilitating illegal migration do not care if people live or die. Since the Border Security Command launched, nearly 4,000 disruptions against these networks have taken place, from seizing cash to convictions of major kingpins. Today marks a key moment in allowing us to go even further, with new tools and legal backing to bear down on these vile gangs, secure our borders and save lives."

In November, the Home Secretary set out sweeping reforms to the UK's asylum system to restore control at the borders and make the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants.

These measures sit alongside the Government's commitment to work with international partners to consider the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights, to keep pace with modern challenges of migration and secure its long term future.

The UK Government is changing the law so that in deportation cases involving Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life), the British public interest is given an appropriate weight.

These powers are part of a broader strategy where the UK is seeking to:- "re-interpret" parts of the European Convention on Human Rights Article 3 of the ECHR (inhuman or degrading treatment) along with Article 8, to make deportations easier, rather than leaving the treaty entirely.

The UK is also working closely with international partners to limited to the most serious forms of ill treatment in:- removals, deportations, or extradition cases in the 1st place.

This announcement builds on the record breaking rate of disruptions of smuggling gangs. Arrests, convictions and seizures of criminal cash and assets were up 33% in the year ending September 2025, compared to 2024. And since coming into power, the Government has removed 50,000 people with no right to be here.

This marks a significant shift in UK border enforcement, beginning on:- Monday, 5 January 2026, as law enforcement agencies receive sweeping new powers to intercept and dismantle people-smuggling operations.

As the new laws do indeed allow Officers to search inside a person's mouth, for hidden SIM cards and seizing phones, leading to some human rights groups and legal experts, such as:- Freedom from Torture, and some legal experts have raised concerns regarding the:- "search without arrest" policy, suggesting it may challenge the UK's commitments to privacy. Furthermore, the Government has confirmed it is working with international partners to:- "reform the interpretation" of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) specifically Article 8 (Right to family life) and Article 3 (Prohibition of degrading treatment) to ensure:- "public interest" is prioritized in deportation cases.

New Criminal Offences...

• The new legislation introduces several specific criminal charges aimed at the:- "supply chain" of illegal migration, which are as follows:-
  

• Equipment Supply - Moving, storing, or supplying boat engines for illegal crossings now carries a maximum sentence of:- 14 years in prison.
  

• Information Gathering - Researching launch sites or downloading maps to facilitate illegal entry can lead to:- 5 years imprisonment.
  

• Vehicle Modification - Manufacturing or supplying:- "secret compartments" in vans or lorries (fake floors) now carries a:- 5 year sentence.

On Merseyside, it will mean Border Force Officers at:- The Port of Liverpool / Seaforth, along with other nearby docks, will now be using these powers to search lorries and freight for:- "fake floors" and modified compartments mentioned in the legislation.

It will also mean that Immigration Enforcement and Merseyside Police (along with other UK Police Forces) will receive additional training as these new powers are specifically modelled on:- Counter Terrorism (CT) laws, which require a higher level of legal accreditation than standard policing. The requirement for this training and the specific legal:- "hook" for it can be found in the:- Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 (Chapter 1, Section 9) and its accompanying Government guidance.

Did you know that since the launch of the Border Security Command (BSC) in late 2024, the structure has become more centralised:-

• Border Security Commander (Martin Hewitt):- Oversees the strategic "counter terror" style intelligence.
  

• Border Force - The uniformed frontline (Customs and Immigration at:- UK Ports / Airports).
  

• Immigration Enforcement - The "raids" teams who operate within the UK to find and remove people.
  

• National Crime Agency (NCA) - Focuses on the high level:- "Kingpins" and international money laundering.

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