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 effect of a person's vitamin D levels on the severity of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Public Health England (PHE) supported the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in spring 2020. The review concluded that there was currently no robust evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. The review is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-rapid-review-vitamin-d-and-acute-respiratory-tract-infections

In autumn 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and PHE were asked to re-consider the evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19. The resulting rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 reiterated existing advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D during winter months and noted that there was not enough evidence on vitamin D and the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. However, NICE, PHE and the SACN will monitor emerging evidence on this issue. The guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 is available at the following link:

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