Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to offer antibody testing for people who are immune suppressed to assess whether they have generated a response to covid-19 vaccines.
Routine COVID-19 antibody testing is not available to everyone who is immune suppressed but this cohort is well-represented in research studies. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is funding research on vaccine responses in groups of immune-supressed individuals as part of its support for the OCTAVE study in the National Core Studies Immunity Programme. UKRI is providing initial funding of £1.8 million for up to 12 months towards the OCTAVE study.
The Government has testing capability in place to enact targeted antibody testing regimes for specific groups if clinical evidence from research studies suggest that it is necessary.