Amman, April 26 (Petra) -- Jordan will introduce the varicella, or chickenpox, vaccine as the 14th vaccine under its National Immunization Program as of May 9.

Health Ministry Director of Communicable Diseases Ayman Maqableh told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the ministry will administer the vaccine as a single dose to children at the age of one year, covering all eligible children born on or after January 1, 2025, who have completed their first year. The measure is being implemented in conjunction with World Immunization Week.

On vaccine safety, Maqableh said the vaccine is not new, noting that it has been used globally since 1995. This, he added, has provided extensive data on its effectiveness in reducing the spread of the disease and its complications.

The decision to include the vaccine was based on scientific recommendations issued by the National Technical Advisory Committee on Immunization, along with national studies conducted in Jordan with the participation of local experts. The studies showed a significant direct and indirect economic burden from chickenpox, reinforcing the need for preventive intervention through vaccination.

Maqableh reviewed the historical development of Jordan’s National Immunization Program, saying it has made significant progress since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1982, followed by the hepatitis B vaccine in 1995 and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in 2025 to help reduce related diseases.

He said these cumulative efforts have led to major national achievements, including recording the last case of polio in Jordan in 1992 and the last cases of diphtheria and tetanus in 1995. These milestones, he added, place Jordan among leading countries globally in controlling communicable diseases.

Maqableh also noted that Jordan was among the early adopters of combination vaccines, which contain more than one antigen in a single dose. These vaccines are designed to reduce the number of injections and ease the physical and psychological burden on children and families while maintaining high effectiveness.

Key examples include the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as well as hexavalent combination vaccines that protect against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, and polio.

World Immunization Week, observed annually from April 24 to 30, aims to highlight the collective action needed to increase vaccine use and protect people of all ages from preventable diseases.

//Petra// AO

26/04/2026 17:58:46