Development Aid: Vaccination

(asked on 21st April 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2022 to Question 150287 on Development Aid: Vaccination, how many vaccines have been donated with an expiry date of three months or shorter since the beginning of the donation period; and whether the vaccines with less than three months to expire, or those destroyed, count towards the total number of vaccines donated.


Answered by
Amanda Milling Portrait
Amanda Milling
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This question was answered on 27th April 2022

As set out in response to question 150287, we donate vaccines in consultation with recipients, having sought assurances that they are likely to be able to use them, regardless of their expiry date.

Where possible we donate vaccines with at least 8 weeks until expiry as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Of the 6.7 million doses we have donated bilaterally to date, 5.5 million were donated with over 8 weeks until expiry. 1.15 million doses were donated with just under 8 weeks until expiry. Of the doses donated through COVAX our first donation of 3 million doses had the shortest window from donation to expiry due to the time taken to create agreements for dose-sharing, and work through regulatory issues. They were accepted by COVAX with over seven weeks until expiry. All UK donations to COVAX have gone straight from the manufacturer to maximise shelf life.

Reticulating Splines