Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the time being taken to supply and provide the (a) flu and (b) pneumonia vaccine for those eligible for free vaccinations; and if he will make a statement.

General practices (GPs) and pharmacies are responsible for procuring seasonal flu vaccines and pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) for eligible adults aged 18 years and over directly from the manufacturers/suppliers for the populations they serve.

Delivery dates for the flu vaccines are arranged directly between the supplier and the practice. The adjuvanted trivalent flu vaccine (aTIV) is recommended for those aged 65 and over. Delivery of the aTIV has had to be phased and all GP practices and community pharmacies will receive their supplies in three deliveries in September, October and November. This is a specific arrangement for 2018-19 to allow effective supply of the vaccine. The majority of vaccinations are usually given between the vaccine becoming available in September and December.

Public Health England (PHE) provides flu vaccines centrally for the children’s flu programme. Centrally purchased flu vaccines are carefully monitored by PHE to ensure there is equal distribution across England and sufficient in-date vaccine for patients who present throughout the season. Vaccines usually become available for them to order in late September. Providers aim to complete the children’s programme before Christmas.

Due to supply constraints from the only manufacturer of the PPV vaccine in the United Kingdom, there has been a temporary shortage of the 23-valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharides Vaccine (PPV23) across the UK. Patients should be invited for this vaccination when they become eligible.