Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce (a) pre and (b) post covid-19 vaccination procedure to help ensure vaccines are effective at the point of being administered; what steps he is taking to mitigate the risk to vaccine effectiveness of mis-storage; and if he will make a statement.

General practitioner (GP) practices will ensure that all vaccines are received, stored, prepared and subsequently transported, where appropriate, in accordance with the relevant manufacturer, Public Health England and NHS England’s instructions as well as with all associated Standard Operating Procedures.

Where vaccinations are administered away from a designated site, for example, at a care home, the GP practice will ensure that appropriate measures are taken to ensure the integrity of the cold chain, following any guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation or Public Health England. Appropriate procedures will be in place to ensure stock rotation, monitoring of expiry dates and appropriate use of multi-dose vials to minimise wastage.