Each vaccination costs £75, marking a £10 increase on the cost in the pilot, Boots announced today (February 27).

A course of two jabs – given six weeks apart by pharmacists – has a discounted cost of £140 when bought together, Boots explained.

The private service is aimed at patients aged one to 65 who wish to get vaccinated outside the NHS, Boots said.

The first consultation and vaccination takes around 25 minutes, with the second appointment lasting 20 minutes, it added.

Director of pharmacy services Asif Aziz said: “The service will provide customers with self-management advice and education on the warning signs of the complications associated with chickenpox, and will ensure more adults and children across the UK have access to this vaccination.

“It is also a fantastic example of how community pharmacists can use their clinical skills to support patients’ health in locations and at times that are convenient to them.”

According to the NHS, nine out of 10 children, or three quarters of children and adults, develop chickenpox immunity after one jab.