Covid-19 Update

Baroness Pidding Excerpts

Thursday 13th May 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

I will write to the noble Baroness.

[Baroness Pidding (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I welcome the Statement and the establishment of a public inquiry in a timely manner. However, we must be mindful that we are not out of this pandemic yet. What reassurance can my noble friend give that there will be capacity in the system for second jabs, potentially booster jabs in the autumn and the annual rollout of the flu jab?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

I hope that I can provide that reassurance. As I said in response to the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, we are ramping up plans for the programme of booster shots. We are working with current suppliers but also new suppliers such as CureVac; we have signed an agreement for a further 60 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be used as part of the booster programme; and we are obviously working on the flu jab programme. This is very much in our minds. We are making plans and, at the moment, we are very confident that we will be able to deliver this and are taking steps to do so.