Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department used to support its recent decision not to currently offer the drug Evusheld to people for whom covid-19 vaccines do not work; who (a) was consulted and (b) took that decision; by what process that decision was made; and if she will make a statement.

The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld at this present time for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is a decision based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. These groups considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies and concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend deployment. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and agrees that this should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.

The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on this decision and evidence considered and intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.