British experts have previously estimated there are more than 650,000 cases of chickenpox in England and Wales. Chickenpox is a highly infectious disease that mostly affects children and can cause an itchy rash, blisters and fever. The chickenpox vaccine recommendation will next be considered by the government. Experts noted, however, that Britain's government offers the shingles vaccine to adults at risk of the disease. Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of public health programs at Britain's Health Security Agency, said the new chickenpox vaccine recommendations would “help make chickenpox a problem of the past.”

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Persons: Immunisation, ”, Andrew Pollard, Pollard, Gayatri Amirthalingam Organizations: chickenpox, . Centers for Disease Control, Health Service, Britain's Health Security Agency Locations: U.S, Canada, Australia, Britain, chickenpox, England, Wales, Chickenpox