Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reinstating routine tongue-tie checks for newborn babies.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
While there is no specific national screening programme or requirement for routinely checking for tongue-tie in newborn babies, where there are difficulties with breast feeding, it is a factor to be considered by health professionals. The Healthy Child Programme will be updated later this year to include guidance on supporting families to connect with services to manage the condition.
We have also recently announced £50 million to improve breastfeeding support. Local authorities will have flexibility in deciding how this funding is used to support families. This may include investing in staff training to discuss additional needs, such as tongue-tie or challenges with lactation and ensuring timely support and treatment is available and accessible.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Kamall on 9 November (HL Deb, col 1588) that the time limit for storage of gametes and embryos will be amended by legislation to extend it beyond 10 years "when parliamentary time allows", when they expect that to be achieved.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Department is in the process of finalising the details of the policy. The detailed implementation of the policy will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their proposal to increase the current 10-year storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos, whether they will immediately introduce a moratorium on the destruction of eggs that reach their 10-year limit before the legislation is passed.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The detailed implementation of the policy will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bethell on 20 October 2020 (HL9219) and 25 June (HL1299), why they have not yet published the outcome of their consultation on gamete and embryo storage limits.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We intend to publish the Government’s response after the summer recess.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date they will publish the outcome of their consultation on gamete (egg, sperm) and embryo storage limits, which closed on 5 May 2020.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We aim to publish the Government’s response to the consultation before the summer recess.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opinion expressed by consultants at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, as reported in The Times on 21 January, that delaying the second dose of COVID-19 vaccinations risks (1) lower effectiveness, and (2) viral mutation.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have made no such assessment.
Public Health England (PHE) is monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccines, including the effects of dosage schedules. Data from the programme shows the first dose of either the BioNTech/Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provides substantial protection within two to three weeks of vaccination. Additionally, data from PHE’s SIREN study shows that both these vaccines provide high protection against COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers after a single dose, beyond 56 days of having been vaccinated. The second dose completes the course and is vital for longer term protection. By the end of March 2021, it was estimated that a total 10,400 deaths were averted as a consequence of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
PHE is conducting enhanced surveillance for the small number of individuals who may develop COVID-19 post-vaccination. This enhanced surveillance, including viral whole genome sequencing which detects viral mutation, can identify whether an individual did not successfully mount an immune response to a vaccination, or whether the disease presented despite evidence of an immune response to vaccination. Understanding these factors are an important part of ensuring the success of the vaccination programme and allows the Government to understand the evolution of new COVID-19 variants and respond swiftly.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether a patients' consent to have a COVID-19 vaccination followed by another approximately three weeks later is still effective if the second vaccination is delayed.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The process for consent applies to all vaccines, including those against COVID-19. An individual gives consent to receive a full course of treatment rather than consenting to a time frame for when the treatment is to be received. Consent remains valid unless the individual who gave it withdraws it.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bethell on 12 January (HL Deb, col 596), what data they have used to determine that delaying a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine beyond 42 days from the first dose is effective and free of risk; and where, if anywhere, this data has been published.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered data on the efficacy of a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. It concluded that a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine would remain highly effective in the weeks following administration. The JCVI’s statement Optimising the COVID-19 vaccination programme for maximum short-term impact: Short statement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is attached.
Public Health England publishes a monthly report on vaccine effectiveness. The most recent study, published on 17 March, shows that vaccines provide high protection against COVID-19 infections after a single dose, beyond 56 days of having been vaccinated. A copy of Public Health England vaccine effectiveness report is attached.