Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what conversations he has had with manufacturers on the procurement of the meningococcal B vaccine.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with the Department, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and manufacturers to ensure the timely supply of effective vaccines. Strong working relationships and partnerships with vaccine manufacturers enable UKHSA to act quickly and efficiently to ensure sufficient stocks of product. The current supplier has an approved and licensed vaccine to meet the United Kingdom’s current routine immunisation programme needs and any additional needs resulting from recent outbreaks.

UKHSA is now actively undertaking a procurement process for meningococcal B vaccines into the future. We engage with the wider market to encourage further competition where feasible and undertake horizon scanning activities to review data for approved products and track any promising products in development.