Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care whether,with reference to the Government’s consultation entitled making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector, launched 9 September 2021, whether he plans to extend the requirement of flu vaccinations to the groups for whom a covid-19 vaccination will be required to enter a CQC registered care home under The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021.

‘Making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector’ consultation is currently open and seeks views on proposals where Care Quality Commission-regulated health and care settings can only deploy staff who were fully vaccinated. The consultation also explores whether flu vaccination should be a condition of deployment in health and social care settings to protect those who are at a higher risk of flu.