Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing Band 3 vaccinators to continue in vaccination roles after April 2026.

In December 2020, amendments were made to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to provide a mechanism that enabled an expanded workforce to legally and safely administer COVID-19 and influenza vaccines without the input of a prescriber, using an approved protocol. This temporary amendment is due to lapse on 1 April 2026.

Recognising the important role the expanded vaccinator workforce has played in safely and effectively delivering COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, the Department is proposing to establish a new permanent provision to support the continued use of an extended workforce to supply and administer vaccinations from 1 April 2026. These proposals are subject to public consultation, which went live on 5 September 2025 and closes on 28 November 2025. The consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/amend-regulations-to-support-the-supply-and-deployment-of-vaccines