Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether all missed school aged vaccinations had been delivered by September 2021.

Providers are currently focussed on the flu and COVID-19 immunisation scheme and will recommence work on routine vaccinations (including any outstanding catch-up work) in the new year. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, routine childhood immunisation programmes continued to be delivered in primary care. However, the closure of schools from 23^rd March 2020 meant that the delivery of all school-aged immunisation programmes, including HPV, Td/IPV and MenACWY were interrupted from this date onwards.

National Health Service providers are adopting a flexible and transformative delivery model to ensure those eligible receive their vaccine. This includes prioritisation of immunisations based on JCVI advice, digitalising consent processes and utilising a range of alternative community settings to deliver vaccines where appropriate. NHS England has also been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Education to ensure that schools facilitate the continuation of vaccinations.