Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis was for the removal of certain categories of asthma sufferers from the list of people entitled to free flu vaccinations at their GP; and if he will make a statement.

There has been no change in the recommendation for those with asthma. The influenza chapter in ‘Immunisation against infectious disease’ (the “Green Book”) says those with the following should receive the vaccine: “Asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission”. Further information is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/influenza-the-green-book-chapter-19

Medical professionals are also encouraged to consider individual patient circumstances and use clinical judgement to take into account the risk of influenza exacerbating any underlying disease that any patient may have, as well as the risk of serious illness from influenza itself with vaccination offered in such cases.