Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department prepared an impact assessment before deciding to delay the delivery of the flu vaccine for children and adolescents until the end of January 2023.

The Department did not take a decision to delay the delivery of the flu vaccine for children and adolescents until the end of January 2023. The National Health Service commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers to vaccinate as many children as possible before the onset of the flu season, which typically peaks between January and March, with a priority focus on vaccinating the youngest children first from primary school age and then move to secondary school children in years seven, eight and nine.