Recommendation 29

Research commissioned by PHE showed that about two-thirds of the population were very likely to take-up the vaccine, around 10% were unlikely, and the rest were uncertain. For those who were uncertain or unlikely to have the vaccine, efficacy and safety were the key issues. We asked witnesses what were the key risks to public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines. NHSE&I that these were very similar to other vaccine programmes that the NHS ran successfully each year, but that the scale of the programme and the newness of the supply chain were different. The Department of Health & Social Care recognised the need for clear messaging to enable the public to understand progress with the vaccine programme and be assured that the vaccines were being deployed safely and properly.81