Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of covid-19 booster vaccination walk-in appointments.
Answered by Maggie Throup
On 18 January 2022 the National Health Service launched the 'Grab a Jab' campaign, with 1,800 walk-in sites available. More than 1,000 of these sites are open every day. The opening times of vaccination sites have been extended to seven days a week and general practitioners and pharmacies have been asked to provide more vaccination appointments.
The ‘Get Boosted Now’ communications campaign began on 12 December 2021 to encourage those eligible to receive their COVID-19 booster. Ministers, scientists, clinicians and celebrities have shared messages on the need for booster vaccinations to reach a wide audience. This is supported by a large-scale marketing campaign including TV, radio, press partnerships, social media and digital/social media takeovers.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what calculation he has made of the last date that a person working for the NHS, who is covered by the Government's Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment, would be to receive their first covid-19 vaccination in order to have received both covid-19 vaccinations by the April deadline.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
For all COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United Kingdom, the clinical advice states there should be an eight-week interval between first and second doses. Therefore, existing National Health Service staff would require a first dose by 3 February in order to have received a second dose by 1 April.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement measures to ensure that people who are still testing positive for covid-19 despite completing the self-isolation period after contracting the virus are not disadvantaged by the Government's covid-19 international travel testing requirements; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maggie Throup
If an individual has recently recovered from COVID-19 but is no longer infectious, they should use a lateral flow device test due to its lower sensitivity and therefore a reduced likelihood of returning a positive result from a historic infection.
While the United Kingdom does not recognise natural immunity for international travel, this is kept under review. The presence of antibodies does not guarantee that an individual is not capable of infection and transmitting the virus, therefore individuals who have been previously infected may still put others at risk.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the two-monthly report on the status of the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020 published on 21 July 2021, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits and demerits of maintaining powers under (a) section 51 and (b) Schedule 21 of that Act.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Section 51 and Schedule 21 enabled the enforcement of a number of public health measures relating to potentially infectious persons to control the spread of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. The provision was used minimally and has not been applied since October 2020. In 2021, a review of all remaining temporary provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 took place, with those no longer deemed necessary and proportionate recommended for expiry. The outcome of the review was set out in the nineth two-monthly report on the Act and was set out in the Winter Plan published on 14 September 2021. The Government recommended the expiry of section 51 and Schedule 21 of the Act as it pertains to England. The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Early Expiry) (No.2) Regulations 2021 came into force on 9 December 2021 which expired section 51 and Schedule 21 in relation to England and on behalf of Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement measures to ensure that convalescent covid-19 positive travellers are not disadvantaged by the Government's covid-19 travel testing requirements; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maggie Throup
While the United Kingdom does not recognise natural immunity for international travel at this time, it is being kept under review. The presence of antibodies does not guarantee that an individual is not capable of infection and transmitting the virus to others.
The strength of the protective immune response to COVID-19 varies greatly from person to person. Although it is likely that an individual will be protected from severe disease or death for a period post-recovery from first infection, the duration of this protection will vary and the ability for these individuals to still transmit the virus has not yet been quantified.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement measures to ensure convalescent covid-19 positive travellers are not disadvantaged by the Government's covid-19 travel testing requirements; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maggie Throup
While the United Kingdom does not recognise natural immunity for international travel at this time, it is being kept under review. The presence of antibodies does not guarantee that an individual is not capable of infection and transmitting the virus, therefore individuals who have been previously infected may still put others at risk.
The strength of the protective immune response to COVID-19 varies greatly from person to person. Although it is likely that an individual will be protected from severe disease or death for a period post-recovery from first infection, the duration of this protection will vary and the ability for these individuals to still transmit the virus has not yet been quantified.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will add teachers to the list of essential workers who are exempt from self-isolation on contact with someone testing positive for the covid-19 omicron variant.
Answered by Maggie Throup
All individuals notified by NHS Test and Trace or a public health official that they are a close contact of someone confirmed or suspected to have the COVID-19 Omicron variant are legally required to self-isolate, regardless of their age, vaccination status, negative test result or worker status. This change came into force on 30 November 2021.
There are currently no exemptions to this requirement, including for essential workers.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits prioritising teachers aged under 40 who work at specialist SEND schools for booster covid-19 vaccines.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Frontline social care workers who provide care closely and regularly to those adults and children who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19, including those who work face to face with clinically vulnerable children are eligible for priority booster vaccinations. This includes teachers who work at special educational needs and disabilities schools.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to require unvaccinated UK citizens returning from abroad to take two PCR tests as an alternative to the ten day quarantine.
Answered by Maggie Throup
There are no plans to do so at present, although we continue to keep all policies under review.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to lay regulations to rescind Schedules 21 and 22 of the Coronavirus Act 2020.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Following the third six-month review of the Coronavirus Act 2020 in September 2021, the Government proposed that a number of provisions, including section 51 (Schedule 21) and section 52 (Schedule 22) be expired early, in line with the commitment to ensure only powers deemed necessary and proportionate remain in force. Expiry regulations were laid on 27 October.