Recommendation 29

The Taskforce told us that predicting demand for 2022 remained difficult. It said it had consciously taken a cautious approach to procurement, based on the presumption that having too much vaccine would be better than having too little.71 There were opportunities to minimise wastage at all stages of the supply process, including careful handling and stock management by local sites; and action by the Taskforce to set up international donations and swaps, and reschedule deliveries with vaccine manufacturers.72 However, 63 Letter from NHS England to all Integrated Care System (ICS) Leads, Next steps for the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme planning and delivery, 23 February 2022 and NHS England COVID-19 planning statement, Planning parameters for 2022/23, 23 February 2022 64 Q 57 65 Qq 34, 65 66 C&AG’s Report, para 15; Q65 67 Q 65 68 C&AG’s Report, para 15 69 Qq 65, 66 70 RCP0004 Note dated March 2022 from Boots UK, page 2 71 Q 34 72 Q 65; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.10, 2.17–2.19 The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine programme in England 17 the officials noted that handling restrictions mean that, once vaccines had left UKHSA’s possession for onward supply to local sites, any unused doses could not then be donated abroad.73 We accept that a lot of work has been done to monitor and minimise wastage in the programme to date. The challenge for the future will be to build new and innovative solutions to keep wastage down. Funding certainty for COVID-19 response activities