Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of whether covid-19 vaccine nasal sprays would be easier to (a) store, (b) distribute and (c) administer compared to such needle-based vaccines; and in the event that such a nasal spray passes its trial stages, if the Government will support it going forward for regulatory approval for use in all four nations of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

There are over 300 COVID-19 vaccines in development around the world, in addition to the 7 vaccine candidates already secured for the UK. The Vaccine Taskforce is continuing to monitor vaccines in development globally.

Innovate UK is funding a number of COVID-19 vaccine projects with the aim to identify vaccines with alternative mechanisms of action and delivery, improved utility in low and middle-income countries, and greater scalability for mass manufacture.