Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government's press release of 30 October 2021, UK donates 20 million more Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to countries in need, whether the 10 million additional COVID-19 vaccine doses due to be delivered to some of the world’s most vulnerable people will be donated via COVAX; and which countries will receive those doses.

On 30 October, we announced a further donation of 20 million Oxford-AstraZeneca doses. Of this, 10 million has already been sent to COVAX, and 10 million more are due to be delivered in the coming weeks, for onward transmission to some of the world's most vulnerable people. This means that at least 30.7 million surplus doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca will have been donated in 2021.

The UK, COVAX and AZ are working closely together and with international partners such as UNICEF to allocate vaccines according to need, facilitate the rapid delivery of doses and maximise the shelf life available to recipients. This includes the provision of regular forecasts to COVAX to assist planning. Doses are also sent directly by AZ to UNICEF, rather than having to be processed by the UK Government. Vaccines delivered by COVAX are distributed in line with the World Health Organisation's 'equitable allocation framework', which helps ensure COVAX doses reach those countries most in need. Recipient countries are informed of vaccine expiry dates, and doses are delivered in consultation with countries that are ready and able to begin immediate roll out.