Sweden adopts free chickenpox vaccination for children
Sweden has formally added chickenpox vaccination to its national child vaccination programme, converting an earlier budget commitment into a government decision. The free programme starts in January 2027.
Under the regulation change, which takes effect on 1 November 2026, vaccination will be free for children. Confirmed cases of chickenpox and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, will also become reportable to regional infection-control doctors and the Public Health Agency.
The Public Health Agency says all children and young people under 18 will be eligible. The first dose will be offered at 18 months through child health services, with a second dose in school years 1–2. BVC clinics or school nurses will contact guardians when it is time.
The government also plans catch-up vaccinations for older children who are not immune. It has allocated programme funding from 2027.
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