Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has been made of the potential increase in cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in children and adults that might occur from a change to the pneumococcal immunisation programme as a result of the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to move to a 1 plus 1 schedule at that Committee's meeting on 4 October 2017.

Public Health England has undertaken modelling on the impact of a reduced dose pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedule in the United Kingdom. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed the modelling in October 2017, and after considering all relevant evidence advised a revised schedule for PCV13 vaccine, with vaccination offered at three months and 12 months. The JCVI has undertaken a consultation on the advice; this was considered on 7 February 2018. The modelling which informed the advice will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed journal in spring 2018.