Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what stocks NHS England has of (a) covid-19 boosters, (b) covid-19 rapid tests, (c) N95 masks and (d) flu vaccines as of October 2023, in the context of preparations for winter 2023-24.

COVID-19 vaccines are purchased by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). NHS England manages the distribution of stock to the front-line. At the beginning of the autumn/winter campaign, NHS England had access to 14.5 million doses of applicable vaccines, to meet the needs of the eligible cohorts as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. NHS England also has stocks of 1,509,200 COVID-19 rapid tests and 114,061,080 FFP3 respirators.

NHS England does not centrally procure or stock any adult flu vaccines. General practitioners and other providers are responsible for ordering adult flu vaccine directly from suppliers, which are used to deliver the national flu programme to the other eligible groups.

Children’s flu vaccines are centrally procured and distributed by UKHSA. We are unable to provide specific stack levels as this information is commercially sensitive but there are adequate stocks of the live attenuated vaccine.