Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department makes an estimate of the timescale for manufacturing influenza vaccines to (a) inform its decision on eligibility for the annual NHS influenza immunisation programme and (b) ensure the adequacy of supply of those vaccines across the country.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation regularly discuss with the vaccine manufacturing industry issues such as the availability of new and existing vaccines, and manufacturing lead in times. Their advice about which flu vaccines are to be used for the coming season is informed by these discussions. An effective programme depends on a reliable supply of vaccine. It takes approximately five to six months for the first supplies of approved vaccine to become available once a new strain of influenza virus is identified and isolated.

National Health Service providers determine how many seasonal flu vaccines to buy for eligible cohorts each year based on their local populations, as outlined in the annual flu system letter. The letter, published on 25 May 2023, is based on the advice of the JCVI, which reviews the latest evidence on flu vaccines and advises on the type of vaccine to be offered to different age groups and on which vaccines should be prioritised for various at-risk groups.

General practitioners and community pharmacists are responsible for ordering their own flu vaccines for the adult population from suppliers. These are then used to deliver the national flu vaccination programme, with deliveries phased through the season to help mitigate against risks of wastage, cold chain failure and to adequately cover the peaks and flows of local demand.

NHS England encourages their contractors to purchase vaccines from more than one manufacturer to mitigate against the risk of supply issues. Regional NHS England commissioners, in partnership with their local systems, also make assessments of the amount of vaccine available in their area to ensure there is enough supply to meet public demand.

The UK Health Security Agency secures and supplies a sufficient volume of flu vaccines used in the children’s flu programme to ensure that eligible children aged less than 18 years old who present for vaccination can be offered an appropriate vaccine.