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 8 December 2022 to Question 97701 on Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Children, what recent discussions his Department has had with JCVI’s respiratory syncytial virus subcommittee on whether SMA type 1 patients should be added as an eligible cohort to receive a palivizumab vaccination.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are currently reviewing evidence around newly available products and the potential to expand upon the current respiratory syncytial virus immunisation offer, which includes those with SMA type 1. Once JCVI provide its advice, the Department will work alongside the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to look at options for implementing accordingly.