Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they received scientific advice detailing an increase in the incidence of autoimmune illness and a possible link between that increase and the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine.

Following reports of extremely rare adverse events of concurrent thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that adults aged under 30 years old and without underlying health conditions should be offered an alternative vaccine, if available. This advice was published on 7 April 2021. In parallel, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency updated its information for healthcare professionals on the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine. On 7 May 2021, the JCVI published updated advice which extended the group who should be offered an alternative to include all unvaccinated adults aged 30 to 39 years old who were not in a clinical priority group at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. This advice is published online, and is available in an online only format.