The Ministry of Health is considering adding chickenpox and rotavirus to the childhood vaccine schedule.
This month, it called for tenders to provide an assessment of the economic benefits of adding them.
"Both rotavirus and [chickenpox] infection cause work loss by parents needing to look after sick children," the document said. While rotavirus caused more hospitalisations, chickenpox was more likely to cause serious complications, the document said.
Otago and Southland Medical Officer of Health Dr Marion Poore said adding the vaccines could reduce the incidence of the two common childhood viral complaints.
"Those two diseases are common in children, and while in most instances children recover from the illness, there are some who become very sick and need to be hospitalised."
