Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2018 to Question 148808 on Pneumonia: Vaccination, whether the forthcoming Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation review of the pneumococcal vaccination programme will include arrangements for the immunisation of (a) infants, (b) adults and (c) those at higher risk of infection as a result of medical conditions.

Public Health England has undertaken modelling on the impact of a reduced dose pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule on invasive pneumococcal disease in the United Kingdom. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has considered the relative impact on non-invasive disease.

As the JCVI is reviewing the pneumococcal programme, the estimates requested are not yet finalised. The modelling will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed journal in 2018. The minutes of the JCVI pneumococcal sub-committee and the JCVI meetings, held on 10 May and 6 June respectively, will be published on or before 18 July 2018.

The JCVI keeps all immunisation programmes under review. The JCVI is undertaking a full review of the pneumococcal programme, and will review their advice on childhood, adult and risk group vaccination.