Recommendation 11

In response to our questions about whether the UK now had access to enough doses of vaccine or would need to go back to buy more from other suppliers, the former Chair of the Taskforce told us that the “we have more doses than we are likely to need, if they all work”.31 BEIS confirmed that was “absolutely confident” that supply would not be a constraint in achieving the mid-February target, even if take-up rates were higher than 23 Qq 103, 105–6 24 Q 106 25 Q 107 26 Q 29 27 Q 34 28 C&AG’s Report, para 2.2 29 Qq 32, 73 30 Q 30 31 Q 31 COVID-19: Planning for a vaccine Part 1 13 expected.32 BEIS explained that it was too early to say what would happen to any surplus doses as it depended on whether all those it had access to were approved for use, and what happened during the roll-out of the vaccines. It confirmed that it had, however, tried to ensure as much flexibility as possible in its contracts with pharmaceutical companies to allow it not to take-up vaccines or to consider alternative options.33