Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure the accessibility of flu vaccines for people who do not belong to an at-risk group.

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. The Department has procured additional doses of seasonal flu vaccine to ensure more flu vaccines were available this winter.

The seasonal flu programme has been extended to 50 to 64 year olds who are not in an at-risk group. Vaccination for this cohort began on 1 December, following the prioritisation of those who are most at risk from the effects of flu, and frontline health and social care workers.

On 15 January, the Department made available the additional procured vaccines to other patients under private provision and occupational health schemes.