Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to co-operate with the devolved Administrations to ensure the swine flu G4 vaccine programme is UK wide.

We continually assess significant threats that the United Kingdom and its citizens could face, including natural hazard risks such as a pandemic influenza. When novel strains of influenza are identified, Public Health England works with expert advisory groups and clinical specialists across the UK to assess the risk posed to the UK, and UK population. There is currently no evidence of effective human-to-human transmission of G4 EA H1N1 influenza.

Should the advice change, the UK has robust plans and processes in place to respond to, and mitigate the impact of, a future influenza pandemic. These plans are based on a ‘defence in depth’ strategy to minimise spread of infection and treat individual cases, which includes arrangements to secure access to a vaccine.