Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact to the NHS of the 16.9 per cent uptake rate, as at 29 October, for the autumn COVID-19 booster vaccine by immunocompromised patients; and what steps they will take to increase uptake among that cohort before the vaccination programme is due to end on 15 December.

Data published by NHS England reported the number of immunosuppressed individuals aged between five and 64 years old that had received vaccination by 29 October 2023 as 326,143. It is not understood where the 16.9% uptake rate within the question has been derived. The published data shows a total number of individuals who have received autumn vaccination broken down by four cohorts.

We continue to work with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to improve immunosuppressed uptake nationally, by understanding drivers of hesitancy, improving the quality of our published data, ensuring it is easy and convenient to book and access vaccinations, and by continuing a variety of campaign activities throughout the winter including the Get Winter Strong campaign. This was launched on 1 November 2023 and encourages those eligible, specifically the clinically most vulnerable, who have not yet come forward for the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to do so.

NHS England has produced and shared a range of targeted communications materials encouraging people who are immunosuppressed to take up their offer of a COVID-19 booster vaccine, including posters, display screen visuals and social media cards. There are also materials to raise awareness that immunosuppressed household contacts are also eligible for vaccination. These assets have been translated into 28 languages to reach people from a wide range of communities through their native languages and have helped general practices, vaccination centres, pharmacies and other sites to promote COVID-19 and flu vaccination this autumn and winter.

The Government’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, also wrote to the main charities representing the clinically most vulnerable patient cohorts, to publicise this Autumn’s campaign, and to enable them to signpost the offer to their patient communities.