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 ensure that people who took part in covid-19 vaccine trials for products not yet approved are able to (a) certify their vaccine status and (b) access alternative vaccines through the NHS.

The Government is working with clinical research sites to add participant information of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials into the National Immunisation Management Service, in order to allow participants to access their NHS COVID Pass for both domestic and international travel purposes.

When a former COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participant becomes eligible for a vaccine currently in deployment, they may ask for the trial to be unblinded. If they have received two placebo doses, they may freely take up the vaccine doses offered to them. If they have received only one dose and a placebo, or are yet to receive a second dose, they may receive an additional dose of the trialled vaccine if agreed by and available from the clinical trial sponsor or receive a single dose of a vaccine approved and currently in deployment, with the acknowledgement that safety data on the combination of the different vaccine is not yet available. If they have received two doses of the vaccine, they will not need additional doses under current guidance.