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 14 July 2021 to Question 22025, and with reference to the findings of the US Food and Drug Administration that more research is required to determine the effectiveness of antibody testing in assessing the protection to immunocompromised patients of covid-19 vaccination, if she will make it her policy to commission and prioritise such research in the level of vaccine protection in immunocompromised people.
As part of the COVID-19 Immunity National Core Study, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is providing £4 million towards the OCTAVE study. This study is examining COVID-19 vaccine responses in clinically at-risk groups, including immunocompromised patients. UKRI is also providing a further £3 million towards a research call to support projects examining the nature and quality of COVID-19 vaccine responses and the mechanisms of immune failure that lead to either COVID-19 re-infection or vaccine breakthrough. This call is now closed and results will be announced in due course.