The move highlights the increasing accessibility of healthcare on the high street
With the dreaded chickenpox affecting nearly eight million 1-10 year olds across the UK every year, high street retailer Superdrug has revealed that it is now able to offer customers a vaccination service in selected health clinics across the country. Currently, the chickenpox vaccination is not part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule in the UK, and is only available on the NHS for those who are considered at high risk of spreading the virus to particularly vulnerable people, or non-immune healthcare workers.
Although not harmful to most of those who catch it, chickenpox is known to be unpleasant, as its symptoms include itchy red spots and blisters, and even a fever. Other symptoms may include tiredness, nausea and headaches. It also tends to be more severe in adults, with an increased risk of pneumonia, hepatitis and encephalitis. “Chickenpox is often seen as a rite of passage in childhood, resulting in anything from very mild to a more serious infection in different people,” says the store’s health and wellbeing ambassador Dr Pixie. “Even in straightforward cases, spot-picking can lead to long-term scarring. A chickenpox immunisation has been available for many years, but not on the high street until now,” she adds.
At £65 per dose (with two doses recommended for adults to give heightened immune protection), the vaccine is available at 58 of Superd...