Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Rejected
Since then, out of the original portfolio of seven candidates, six have been approved for...
Recommendation
Since then, out of the original portfolio of seven candidates, six have been approved for use in the UK to date.44 But with six vaccines to choose from, it is noteworthy that only three—AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna—have actually been deployed in the UK and also that the only new contracts signed in 2021 were with Pfizer and Moderna.45 The UK’s vaccine supply for 2022 and 2023 now relies primarily on just these two companies, both manufacturers of mRNA vaccines.46
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation to review the future procurement strategy for COVID-19 vaccines, stating that the current strategy is kept under constant review with expert advice. They cite agreements with developers that give access to updated vaccines and bivalent vaccines having received regulatory approval.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
5: PAC conclusion: After starting with a portfolio of seven candidates, the UK’s vaccine supply for 2022 and 2023 now relies primarily on just two, yet many of the risks that the ‘portfolio’ approach was intended to mitigate remain. 5: PAC recommendation: The Department and the Vaccine Taskforce should urgently review the future procurement strategy for COVID-19 vaccines, seeking all necessary clinical and commercial expertise, to ensure that future contracts are not let to too narrow a set of providers. It should report the results of the work in detail to the Committee. 5.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The government took a portfolio approach to vaccine development and procurement. This was the right strategy in the early stages of the pandemic, recognizing a high degree of uncertainty over which vaccines, if any, would prove safe and effective, and so receive regulatory approval. 5.3 Now, more information is available. The government has continued to learn more about the vaccines including through Vaccine Taskforce (VTF) sponsorship of clinical studies. The department continues to monitor such studies, as well as manufacturer data, to help inform procurement strategy. 5.4 Ability to adapt to new variants has also been important in considering which vaccines to procure. The government has ensured that agreements with the developers give access to updated vaccines. Bivalent vaccines, that target the original (wild type) and Omicron BA.1 strain, from both Moderna and Pfizer have received regulatory approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 15 August 2022 and 3 September 2022, respectively. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended both for use in the 2022 Covid-19 autumn booster programme. Six licenced vaccines (from three developers) are currently available for the NHS under JCVI recommendations. Two further vaccines are likely to achieve MHRA approval shortly and could be deployed if JCVI recommend we do so. 5.5 The vaccine procurement strategy is kept under constant review. It was last discussed with the VTF Steering Group, chaired independently by Sir Richard Sykes (former chair of GSK), in mid-September. That Steering Group included commercial and clinical experts, such as Sir Jonathan Van-Tam. This steering group stopped at the end of September when VTF transitioned into its new form. The COVID Vaccine Unit, in UKHSA, is in the process of setting up a suitable advisory group – which will continue to include clinical and commercial experts.