Chickenpox can be a nasty infection, which is why it’s so important for us to give our children the best possible protection against it. It will come as welcome news to parents throughout the UK then, to learn that a new vaccine is being trialled in a bid to ensure that every child is receiving the most effective treatment possible.

 

The new treatment is the latest version of the vaccine Varilrix, and it is being rolled out in hospitals around the country as part of a study analysing its safety and effectiveness. Ultimately, experts want to see if the newest version of the vaccine offers better protection against chickenpox than the current one administered to children and young people.

 

Although the version of Varilrix being tested has been licensed in the UK for almost three years now – and is currently used in the States – it is only administered in the UK to those patients with particularly weak immune systems and those vulnerable to the complications of the infection.

 

The trial is being rolled out in a number of hospitals including the NIHR Wellcome Trust Southampton Clinical Research Facility and St George’s Hospital as well as other facilities in Bristol and Oxford. Children aged between 12 and 23 months will receive the vaccine as part of the trial.

 

We’re looking forward to seeing the results.

 

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