Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to protect the NHS from rises in the level of (a) covid-19 and (b) flu infections.

The COVID-19 autumn booster programme aims to increase immunity in those at higher risk of severe illness during winter 2022/23. In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, all those aged 50 years old and over, all frontline health and care workers, all residents and staff in care homes for older people, carers and those aged five years old and over who are either at higher clinical risk from COVID-19 or are household contacts of people with immunosuppression are offered a booster dose. We have expanded the flu vaccination programme to include all adults aged 50 to 64 years old and secondary school children in Years 7, 8 and 9.

The National Health Service is also increasing bed capacity and staffing, maximising the use of virtual wards and is considering acute respiratory infection hubs to support same day assessment.