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 clinical benefit of extending the 2020-21 national childhood flu immunisation programme cohorts to (a) the additional Year 7 cohort confirmed in England and (b) any further secondary school cohorts beyond Year 7.

This year the flu programme was expanded in light of the risk of both flu and COVID-19.

The flu vaccination is recommended for those in at risk groups, and frontline health and social care workers and was extended to new cohorts such as children in school year seven to protect themselves and also prevent onward transmission to vulnerable members of the community. This is in keeping with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.