Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee

Conclusion 3

Tenth Report - Prevention in health and social care: vaccination Published 27 Jul 2023 Paragraph 18 Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The incredible success of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout showed what can be achieved with a mission-based attitude from Government, which involved making it as easy as possible for everybody to receive the vaccine. Fundamental to that success was the wide range of people that were mobilised to deliver the vaccination, and this is a lesson that cannot be forgotten when considering routine immunisation programmes.

From: Health and Social Care Committee, Tenth Report - Prevention in health and social care: vaccination (HC 1764), paragraph 18, 27 July 2023

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 20 October 2023 (deadline 27 September 2023).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government responds to each of the Committee's five recommendations, setting out ongoing work and consultations, and states it is committed to improving vaccination uptake and regaining the UK's position as a global leader in clinical trials.

  • On widening the vaccination workforce, the Government says it is "reviewing" the use of unregistered professionals, and a consultation launched on 7 August 2023 (closed 18 September 2023) includes an option for a time limited amendment, covering until April 2026, to regulation 247A.
  • On NHS England's vaccination and immunisation delivery strategy, it says "latest thinking" focuses on empowering system leaders to plan local services, and that "the strategy will be published later in 2023".
  • On the O'Shaughnessy review of commercial clinical trials, it has welcomed all recommendations "in principle" and "will consider" delivery of all of them, with "an implementation update" to be provided "in the autumn".
  • On the JCVI and MHRA, it describes the UK system for reviewing new immunisation products as "effective and responsive" and notes £10 million over two years announced for the MHRA at Spring Budget.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error