Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure that vulnerable groups who require the Evusheld vaccine are able to participate fully in society.

The Living with Covid Strategy sets out three key objectives to protect the vulnerable, maintain resilience, and continue the transition to managing COVID-19 wherever possible and clinically appropriate, as we do with any other respiratory virus through business as usual public health activities.

Appropriate levels of testing will remain to support diagnosis for clinical care and treatment and to protect very high-risk individuals and settings. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and immunocompromised are part of the group who are eligible for COVID-19 treatments in the community, enabling them easy access to anti-viral treatments. High-risk individuals are also part of the priority cohort in line for booster vaccines. The Government will continue to consider the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on future vaccine selection and booster programmes for those at greatest risk.

However, as we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we should all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent serious illness from catching COVID-19.