Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the availability of the flu vaccine in (a) London and (b) England; and what steps he is taking to help ensure the availability of that vaccine for all people over 50 for Winter 2020-21.

We have sufficient vaccine for more than 30 million people to be vaccinated in England this winter. General practitioners and pharmacists are responsible for ordering flu vaccine from suppliers which are used to deliver the national flu programme to adults, with deliveries phased through the season. In addition, the Department has procured additional doses which will be available from November, to increase uptake in existing groups and extend the programme to new cohorts including those aged 50 to 64 years when appropriate.

Priority will be given to those who are most at risk to the effects of flu, and health and social care workers. There will be further communication on extending the programme to the additional cohort later in the season.