Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle disinformation and misinformation about vaccines; and what assessment he has made of the effect of anti-vaccine misinformation on vaccine uptake rates.

International research points to anti-vaccine misinformation having a negative effect on vaccine uptake rates therefore the Government is working with a range of partners to ensure that people are able to access the information they need to make the right choice on vaccines.

The Department is working closely with Public Health England and NHS England and NHS Improvement to promote vaccinations and raise awareness of their benefits and the diseases they prevent.

The Department works closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in engagement with media, social media and technology companies to limit misinformation and promote positive messages about vaccination.