Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of immunocompromised people in England who could potentially benefit from Evusheld if it is found to be appropriate for prescription on the NHS.

The National Health Service estimates approximately 500,000 patients in England are immunosuppressed. A minority of these patients may not respond adequately to vaccines and could potentially benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis. The OCTAVE study found that 11% of immunocompromised patients fail to generate antibodies following vaccination and 40% mounted a low serological response. The use of antibody testing could potentially identify which patients have lower levels of protection and should be prioritised for treatment.

This data is approximate and the Department has commissioned additional advice from independent experts to refine its understanding of vaccine response and the patient cohorts which could be prioritised for prophylaxis and for other interventions. If the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ascertains that Evusheld as a pre-exposure prophylaxis is clinically and cost effective, the National Health Service will make Evusheld available as appropriate. NICE’s appraisal will also consider suitable patient cohorts.