Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what studies the Government has undertaken on the effect of vitamin D on covid-19; and what the outcome of those studies was.

Public Health England (PHE), the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) have considered emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 throughout 2020.

NICE, PHE and the SACN published a rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 in December 2020 which concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19. The guideline reiterates existing government advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D throughout autumn and winter for bone and muscle health. The guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng187

From January 2021, the Government is providing a free four-month supply of daily vitamin D supplements to adults on the clinically extremely vulnerable list that have opted in to receive the supplements and residents in residential and nursing care homes in England.