Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to progress (a) the validation of non-UK vaccines for UK residents requiring the NHS COVID Pass, and (b) the NHS COVID app upgrade.

Since 30 September a pilot has been in place for overseas vaccinations to be recorded in the National Immunisation Management Service (NIMS). The pilot involved three vaccination sites in England with further locations available since 11 October. By the end of October, there will be one vaccination site in every region in England offering this service. Subject to the pilot’s findings, this service will be publicly available from mid-November. Currently any Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen or Moderna vaccinations administered by the European Medicines Agency, the Food and Drug Administration or Swissmedic will be recorded on the NHS COVID Pass.

Once the pilot is complete an evidence review will take place which will consider timeframes for completion of the NHS App upgrade.