Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent shortages of the Pfizer vaccine and ensure that people are able to book a second dose.

We have sufficient doses to maintain our vaccination programme. We are in constant contact with the vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer, and remain confident that the supply of vaccine to the United Kingdom will not be disrupted. We are on track to meet our target to offer a vaccine to all adults by the end of July.

Vaccine supplies have already been set aside for everyone who has already received their first dose and there are currently no delays in the administration of the second dose of the vaccine. If an individual is invited for a COVID-19 vaccination via a general practitioner, a second vaccination appointment can then be offered to the patient in the following 12-week period.

Where a patient has been invited to book their own appointment, they will be required to book their second appointment in a time slot 11 to 12 weeks on from their first appointment. NHS England’s guidance states that all vaccination centres should ensure that all second dose appointments are booked in by the twelfth week.