Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the take-up of covid-19 vaccines using information on the proportion and severity of adverse reactions to each vaccine.

No vaccine would be authorised for supply in the United Kingdom unless the expected standards of safety, quality and efficacy are met.  Each COVID-19 vaccine candidate is assessed on a case by case basis and is only authorised once it has met robust standards of effectiveness, safety and quality by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The independent expert working group have supported the MHRA’s proposals for a proactive safety monitoring strategy. This comprises the Yellow Card scheme and a special active monitoring programme which is available at the following link:

https://coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

The Department is leading extensive communications activity to reassure the public, providing advice and information to support those who have been prioritised to receive a vaccine and anyone who has questions about the vaccination process.