Covid-19 Inquiry Module 4 Report: Government Response
(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)
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The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Yvette Cooper)
On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Covid-19 Inquiry published its fourth report, which focused on the role of vaccines and therapeutics throughout the pandemic and put forward five recommendations for the Government to consider. Today, the Government published their response and set out the actions we are taking to address them.
Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the pandemic. We recognise the impact that these experiences have had on individuals and families, and the importance of ensuring that their experiences are heard and reflected in the lessons we learn from the inquiry. I also want to recognise all those who served the public with dedication, compassion and courage in the most challenging of conditions.
Baroness Hallett’s module 4 report recognises the remarkable success of the vaccines and therapeutics programmes. Effective vaccines were developed, authorised and deployed at exceptional speed, while still going through the robust clinical trial and safety process necessary for such interventions. Therapeutics were identified quickly to treat those who became seriously ill. The report sets out how vaccines protected many people against the most serious effects of covid-19, saved lives, reduced pressure on healthcare systems and helped to ease the wider social and economic effects of the pandemic.
The report also highlights the factors that made this possible. This includes the UK’s world-leading position in biomedical sciences, the dedication of doctors, scientists and researchers supported by the UK’s academic institutions and research funders, the skills of those managing the programmes, and the staff and volunteers keeping the vaccination centres running. I also want to thank the public for coming forward to be vaccinated to protect those around them.
The Government are also grateful to Baroness Hallet and the Covid-19 Inquiry team for identifying important lessons for the future in relation to planning and responding to future pandemics. This publication sets out our response to the module 4 report and recommendations.
We recognise there is more to do, and we are continuing to learn from the inquiry’s findings and address the issues identified. We must ensure that future vaccination and therapeutics programmes earn people’s trust, are accessible to everyone who needs them and are guided by the best available evidence, as these programmes were. We must continue and build on our work with communities to understand and address the barriers that influence vaccine uptake.
The inquiry notes that safety monitoring must continue to evolve and proposes reform of the vaccine damage payment scheme to ensure it is fair to those seriously harmed or bereaved following vaccination, and recognises the trauma and distress caused to families facing long waits for the processing of their claims. We take these concerns very seriously and will look further at what needs to be done to improve the scheme.
We must maintain investment in research, manufacturing capability, surveillance systems and health data infrastructure, forging closer relationships with key life science partners to support improvements.
Our focus is on practical action. There are four areas we need to address for vaccine uptake: clearer NHS organisation, more flexible services, better public information and joined-up digital records. We are also taking forward reforms to improve pandemic preparedness, health resilience and the UK’s life sciences capability. Our recently published pandemic preparedness strategy aims to enhance our approach to future health emergencies and developing the underlying capabilities needed to respond rapidly.
Investment in research, surveillance and health data will further improve our ability to respond to emerging threats. This work also builds on the ambitions of the “10 Year Health Plan for England” which sets out a long-term vision to make the NHS fit for the future, delivering better, faster care, with a workforce that is more empowered, flexible and fulfilled. It places prevention at the heart of NHS reform in England, including through improved vaccination programmes, greater use of new vaccine technologies, better use of high-quality and connected health data to support prevention and early intervention, and closer collaboration between the NHS, universities and industry.
The findings from module 4 are ultimately about innovation, trust and preparedness. By learning the lessons set out in the report, we can boost our resilience, improve public confidence and ensure that the UK is better equipped for future health emergencies.
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