Recommendation 2

Despite BEIS’s confidence, concerns remain over the vaccine supply chain. Under the Government’s ambitious plans, everyone who wants a vaccination should be able to have one by Autumn 2021. This will depend on continuing vaccine supply. Whilst BEIS asserts that the UK has access to more doses than it likely needs if they all work, NHSE&I is less certain when the doses will arrive. BEIS holds detailed supply schedules up to the end of February 2021 but until recently NHSE&I was only able to provide vaccination sites with supply schedules one week in advance. There have been conflicting statements about vaccine supply. BEIS is unequivocal that supply will not be a constraint in meeting the Government’s 15 February target and on current numbers this appears to be on track. The Department is confident that, through its investment of £302 million, of a potential £519 million, in the UK’s manufacturing capacity, the UK could manufacture all the vaccine doses that it might need should this contingency be required. Yet on the same day we took evidence the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care stated that supply of the vaccine is the ‘rate limiting factor’ for deployment plans. 1 Latest figures can be found at: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations 6 COVID-19: Planning for a vaccine Part 1 Recommendation: BEIS should, by the end of February 2021, write to the Committee with its assessment of the risks within the vaccine supply chain and a plan to proactively address these to ensure sufficient doses of vaccine are available through to Autumn 2021.