Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the take-up of the new enhanced influenza vaccine for the over-65s by (i) GPs and (ii) pharmacies in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 influenza seasons.

The adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine was not available for use in 2017/18.

General practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies are responsible for ordering and purchasing flu vaccines for the adult seasonal flu programme (eligible individuals aged 18 years and over) directly from manufacturers.

Information on what vaccines are being ordered by these independent contractors is not routinely collected. Information on vaccines used by pharmacies and GPs will be available after the end of a flu season when practice/pharmacies claim reimbursement for the cost of the vaccines they have used.