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 potential merits of providing monoclonal antibodies to prevent covid-19 in adults and children over 12 who have primary and secondary antibody deficiency and who may not produce an adequate response to covid vaccines or for those in whom vaccination is not recommended.

The RAPID C-19 collaboration reviews all promising compounds to assess whether these should be considered for potential use in the National Health Service. Currently, the evidence has most strongly supported treatment rather than prophylaxis. The evidence around preventative use will continue to be reviewed for efficacy and safety.

The Department commissioned an independent expert group to determine a list of clinically eligible patient cohorts most likely to progress towards developing severe COVID-19. These cohorts form part of an evidence based clinical policy for the treatment of COVID-19, agreed by the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers. The treatments available include the monoclonal antibody therapy sotrovimab, as well as antiviral treatments.