Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to provide those clinically vulnerable people for whom covid-19 vaccines do not work with support with (a) the practical consequences of shielding and (b) maintaining mental health and wellbeing; and if she will make a statement.

The success of the COVID-19 vaccination programme has meant that the requirement for shielding and identifying people as clinically extremely vulnerable is no longer necessary. However, there remains a smaller number of people whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, despite vaccination. We have introduced enhanced protections that may benefit these groups, this includes free testing and enhanced access to therapeutic drugs, alongside public health guidance.

The Department is continuing its work to find new drugs and explore the potential for new interventions, this includes the possibility of a study to test antibody levels in immunosuppressed patients who may have a limited or no response to vaccination.

We would encourage everyone to make use of the mental health and wellbeing resources that are out there, such as Every Mind Matters or the Mental Health Hub on the National Health Service (NHS) website. The Government has also provided an additional £500 million for 2021/22, to accelerate our NHS mental health expansion plans and to target groups whose mental health have been most affected by the pandemic.