Vaccination
Chickenpox vaccination
Chickenpox is usually mild in healthy children, but not always. It can cause skin infections, pneumonia and, rarely, inflammation of the brain, and it's dangerous for newborns, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system. It also means a fortnight of nursery or school missed, and a parent off work.
- GPhC premises 9011598
Recommendations depend on your health history and current guidance.
GPhC registered premises
9011598
Private and NHS pharmacy services from one registered pharmacy in Ewell, Epsom.
In short
Miles Pharmacy in Epsom vaccinates against chickenpox privately: two doses for children born before 2020, for teenagers and adults who've never had it, and for families protecting a newborn or someone immunosuppressed. We check your child's date of birth before anything is given.
- Private course
- Two doses children born before 2020, and adults who've never had it
- After contact
- Three days works best within; call, don't book
- Price
- £80 a dose, course of 2
Been in contact with chickenpox?
This is the one situation where you shouldn't wait for an online booking.
Call us on 020 8393 1000Timing matters. In someone who isn't already immune, vaccination after exposure works best within three days, and can still reduce how ill they get up to five days afterwards.
Call, don't book. Ring us on 020 8393 1000 and tell us when the contact was. We'll tell you straight away whether vaccination is still worth doing and whether we can see you today.
If someone at home is vulnerable. If a household member is pregnant, a newborn, or has a weakened immune system, contact your GP or 111 as well. They may need different protection, and that's an NHS matter rather than a private one.
Who we vaccinate privately
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Children born before 2020
The largest group, since they're outside the programme entirely. Two doses gives them the full course.
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Teenagers and adults who've never had chickenpox
Chickenpox tends to be more severe in adults, so it's worth considering if you're confident you've never had it. A blood test can check first if you're not sure.
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Households with someone vulnerable
If you live with a newborn, someone pregnant or someone immunosuppressed, vaccinating the healthy children in the house reduces the chance of chickenpox coming through the door.
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Parents planning another pregnancy
If you've never had chickenpox, vaccination before conceiving is worth discussing. It's a live vaccine, so it can't be given during pregnancy, and pregnancy should be avoided for a month after each dose.
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Before travel or a move abroad
Some countries and school systems expect it.
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The one-dose cohort
Children born between September 2022 and June 2024 get one chickenpox-containing dose on the NHS. Some parents choose a second privately. It's a choice rather than an NHS recommendation, and we'll be straight with you about what's known before you decide.
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Work it out
Who are you asking for?
Work it out
Who are you asking for?
Pick who the vaccine is for and we'll say what we can do privately.
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Call us on 020 8393 1000Your answer
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- Groups it knows
- 6
- Rules last checked
- 17 September 2026
Been in contact with chickenpox this week? Call today rather than booking. We confirm what's needed at the appointment.
The course and how it's given
- Two doses
- A full private course is two doses. For teenagers and adults they're usually four to eight weeks apart. For a child, the gap depends on the product used and their age at the first dose, and we'll confirm yours at the appointment.
- From what age
- One of the single chickenpox vaccines is licensed from 9 months, the other from 12 months.
- It's a live vaccine
- That matters for timing with other live vaccines such as MMR: either the same day, or at least four weeks apart.
- Combined or separate
- The NHS uses a combined measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccine. Privately, chickenpox is usually given as a single vaccine alongside whatever else your child needs.
- How well it works
- Two doses give good long-term protection, and children who do catch chickenpox afterwards usually get a much milder illness with fewer spots.
What it costs
Price
| Vaccine | What that covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Chickenpox (varicella) | 2 doses, £80 each | £160 |
One price, paid when you book.
Safety
Safety and side effects
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Common
Soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site, and sometimes a mild fever or a few spots a week or two later. Those spots are a reaction to the vaccine, not chickenpox itself.
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Who can't have it
Pregnancy, and anyone with a severely weakened immune system, since it's a live vaccine. Anyone who's had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose or ingredient. Postpone if they're unwell with a fever.
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Pregnancy
Not given in pregnancy, and pregnancy should be avoided for a month after each dose. It's safe while breastfeeding.
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Living with someone vulnerable
Passing the vaccine virus to a household contact is very rare, and far less likely than bringing real chickenpox home from nursery. If a rash appears after vaccination, keep it covered and let us know.
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Work it out
Who are you asking for?
Your appointment
What the appointment involves
- Bring
- Your child's red book or vaccination record and their date of birth, so we can check their NHS cohort.
- What we check
- Which NHS doses they've had or are due, whether they've had chickenpox, and what's actually needed.
- Booking the second dose
- We book it before you leave and remind you nearer the time.
Before you book
Questions about the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine
Answered by the pharmacist who signs this page off.
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Not routinely. They continue to be offered MMR, and chickenpox vaccination is private unless they're in a specific clinical risk group.
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Children born between September 2022 and June 2024 are offered one chickenpox-containing dose. A second privately is a parental choice rather than an NHS recommendation, and we'll go through what's known with you.
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Call us today. Vaccination works best within three days of contact and can still reduce severity up to five days. Don't book online for this.
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£80 per dose. The full course is two doses, so £160 in total.
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Yes, if they've never had chickenpox. It's two doses, usually four to eight weeks apart. It's more severe in adults, so it's worth considering. A blood test can check whether you're already immune.
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Yes, and it's usually recommended. Passing the vaccine virus to a household contact is very rare, and much less likely than an unvaccinated child bringing real chickenpox home.
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Yes. It isn't given during pregnancy, but breastfeeding is fine.
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Usually not. UKHSA says there's no safety concern in vaccinating a child who's had it.
Guides and advice
Guides on chickenpox (varicella)
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Chickenpox
Chickenpox Vaccine For Your Child’s Immunisation
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Chickenpox
The Importance of the Chickenpox Vaccine
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Chickenpox
Summertime Chickenpox: Symptoms, Treatment, and Care
Guides are a starting point, not a diagnosis. What is right for you depends on your health history, your medicines and what a pharmacist finds on the day.
Find the pharmacy
Where to come, and when
Miles Pharmacy is in Epsom, Surrey. Patients come to us from across Surrey, including Ewell, Ashtead, Leatherhead and Banstead, and from Sutton, Cheam, Surbiton and Kingston in south-west London.
Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT19 9UR
How to get here Parking, trains, buses and step-free access
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The door is on Chessington Road, with step-free access
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The station car park, on Station Approach off Chessington Road
- Address Elizabeth Court, Station Approach, KT17 1DR
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Step-free to all platforms, by a footbridge with lifts
- Step-free to every platform (National Rail step-free category A)
- Lifts two, on the footbridge
Checked against nationalrail.co.uk
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Outside the pharmacy, with a stop on each side of Chessington Road
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Cycle parking at the station
Take this with you
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Sources
- UKHSA: MMRV vaccination, information for healthcare professionals, dated . Checked .
- UKHSA: MMRV vaccine eligibility tables, Appendix A (January 2026). Checked .
- UKHSA Green Book chapter 34: varicella, dated . Checked .
- NHS: chickenpox vaccine, dated . Checked .
- UKHSA: universal varicella vaccination programme in England, surveillance. Checked .
Vaccination
Book a time that suits you.
Choose a service and a date that suits you. One of us confirms it with you directly.
- Private and NHS
- GPhC premises 9011598
- Open until 6:30pm
Prefer to talk? 020 8393 1000