Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking the ensure that people with immune deficiency are able to equitably and safely participate in society under the plan for living with covid; and if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of findings of the study led by researchers from the University of Birmingham on the (a) comparatively higher risk of mortality following a covid-19 infection for people with primary and secondary immunodeficiency and (b) response to vaccination of those people.

Antiviral and other therapeutic treatments and booster vaccinations are being provided for eligible patients at higher risk of developing serious illness. On 4 April 2022, updated public health guidance was issued for those whose immune system means they are at higher risk from COVID-19, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

We have no plans to make a formal assessment of the study led by researchers from the University of Birmingham.