Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to paragraph 4.5.6 of the NHS Vaccination Strategy, published on 13 December 2023, what plans they have to engage with external stakeholders in the development of a cost-benefit analysis of the centralised procurement and supply of adult flu vaccines.

The NHS Vaccination Strategy outlined the intention to explore whether centralising the procurement and supply of adult flu vaccines could deliver better outcomes and address the existing clinical, operational, and financial challenges associated with local procurement. NHS England, the Department, and the UK Health Security Agency are working in partnership to plan a programme of work to consider this. This will include undertaking a cost-benefit analysis and market engagement with stakeholders. These plans, which include timelines, are still under development and subject to ministerial decision-making, but any potential changes as a result of this exploratory exercise will not be implemented before the 2026/27 financial year.