Influenza: Vaccination

(asked on 23rd January 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether GPs in England were advised by NHS England to order trivalent anti-flu vaccines in preference to quadrivalent vaccines which provide broader protection against flu.


Answered by
Lord O'Shaughnessy Portrait
Lord O'Shaughnessy
This question was answered on 6th February 2018

General practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies are responsible for ordering and purchasing flu vaccines for the adult seasonal flu programme (eligible individuals aged 18 years and over) directly from manufacturers. They make a clinical decision on the choice of vaccine for their patients based on the evidence and guidance available at the time of ordering.

The Department, NHS England, and Public Health England published the 2017/18 annual flu letter. This letter is sent to all GPs, and includes full details of the forthcoming flu programme including available flu vaccines. The annual flu letter provided details on the availability of both the quadrivalent vaccine and trivalent vaccine for the 2017/18 season. GPs and pharmacists had the option of ordering either the quadrivalent vaccine or the trivalent vaccine. A copy of the letter is attached.

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