Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of uptake among target groups of covid-19 booster vaccinations; and what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote public awareness and (b) increase the take-up of the covid-19 spring and summer booster vaccinations by target groups.
Recent trends in the uptake of COVID-19 booster vaccinations among eligible groups are published routinely by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England. The relevant publications can be accessed at the following links:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/
The UKHSA supports public awareness and uptake of seasonal COVID-19 vaccination through a range of public-facing communications, and has improved access to vaccination through online booking, the NHS App, and community pharmacies. Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccination programme is set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), and is available at the following link:
Practices must offer COVID-19 vaccination to all patients on their Registered Patient List who are eligible through inclusion in a JCVI cohort that has been announced and authorised by the commissioner.
NHS England uses the JCVI determined eligibility criteria, alongside cohort size data and uptake trends, to determine each provider's vaccine allocation for the campaign. Within this allocation, providers can flex the volume and frequency of deliveries to match local demand. Where demand exceeds their allocation, providers can request additional stock to ensure demand can be met. Further information is available at the following link: