Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to increase price transparency for vaccines.

The UK recognises the importance of providing affordable vaccines for the poorest nations. Through UK support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the price of common childhood vaccines has reduced by 17% since 2016. Bringing down vaccine prices is part of a wider strategy in Gavi to increase access to vaccines and our significant investment supports global initiatives to increase vaccine transparency and help ensure their affordability.

Gavi helps secure the lowest price for vaccines for 68 of the world’s poorest countries. Gavi procures its vaccines through UNICEF, which makes public its historic, current and future prices for vaccines. For countries who are not eligible for Gavi-subsidised vaccines, the UK also advocates and supports its partners to make prices publicly available online. This helps establish benchmark prices so countries can negotiate better deals.

Outside of Gavi supported countries, the UK is supportive of the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy and Plan of Action and Roadmap for Access to Medicines. These plans help increase global price transparency whist also encouraging innovation that is crucial for future vaccine development.