Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the potential merits of the use of Vitamin D as a protection against covid-19 and (b) the steps that can be taken to increase the public promotion of Vitamin D’s merits for maintaining the immune system.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Public Health England, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 in December 2020.
The guideline concluded that there was not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19 and reiterated existing Government advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D throughout Autumn and Winter for bone and muscle health.
The Government continues to actively promote these recommendations through a range of platforms, including the NHS.UK website, social media and campaigns such as Better Health.
NICE and SACN continue to monitor evidence in this area.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of restarting the scheme to provide free vitamin D supplements for people at high risk from covid-19 on the NHS this winter.
Answered by Maggie Throup
No assessment has been made. Last year, 2.7 million vulnerable individuals were offered a free vitamin D supply by the Government. The provision of free vitamin D supplements was undertaken to support those that were shielding or were living in care homes, as they were more likely to have remained indoors in spring and summer. However, the shielding programme has now concluded in England.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provision of free vitamin D supplements to people at high risk from covid-19 infection on the health of those people during winter 2020-21.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The free vitamin D supplement scheme was introduced to benefit those asked to stay indoors more than usual over the spring and summer 2020 due to national restrictions. The supplements were provided to help support their general health, in particular bone and muscle health.
In collaboration with Public Health England and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence conducted a rapid evidence review evaluating evidence from recent studies on vitamin D in relation to COVID-19. The expert panel supported current Government advice for everyone to take the supplement throughout the autumn and winter for bone and muscle health. However, the panel concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of Vitamin D in lowering the risk of covid-19 infections.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Public Health England and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition published a rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 in December 2020. This concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they are (1) undertaking, or (2) supporting, into (a) the use, and (b) the benefits, of taking vitamin D supplements to help people who are susceptible to (i) COVID-19, (ii) the long term effects of COVID-19, and (iii) osteoporosis, to keep well.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Existing United Kingdom vitamin D recommendations are based on advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN carried out an extensive and robust assessment of the evidence on vitamin D and a wide range of musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal health outcomes, including fractures and falls which are a consequence of osteoporosis. The SACN recommended a reference nutrient intake of 10 micrograms vitamin D per day for adults and children over the age of one year.
Public Health England (PHE), the SACN and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19. The expert panel supported current Government advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement throughout the autumn and winter for bone and muscle health. NICE, PHE and the SACN are continuing to monitor evidence as it is published and will review and update guidance if necessary.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what studies the Government has undertaken on the effect of vitamin D on covid-19; and what the outcome of those studies was.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE), the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) have considered emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 throughout 2020.
NICE, PHE and the SACN published a rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 in December 2020 which concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19. The guideline reiterates existing government advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D throughout autumn and winter for bone and muscle health. The guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng187
From January 2021, the Government is providing a free four-month supply of daily vitamin D supplements to adults on the clinically extremely vulnerable list that have opted in to receive the supplements and residents in residential and nursing care homes in England.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Royal Society Open Science Vitamin D and COVID-19: evidence and recommendations for supplementation, published on 1 December 2020; and what plans they have to adopt any actions as a result of any such assessment.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England (PHE) is aware of the Royal Society’s paper but has made no formal assessment.
Current Government advice on vitamin D and health is based on recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Public Health England and the SACN published COVID-19 rapid guideline: vitamin D in December 2020 which concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19. The expert panel supported current Government advice for everyone to take the supplement throughout the autumn and winter for bone and muscle health. A copy COVID-19 rapid guideline: vitamin D is attached.
From this month the Government is providing a free four-month supply of daily vitamin D supplements to adults on the clinically extremely vulnerable list that have opted in to receive the supplements and residents in residential and nursing care homes in England to help support general health, in particular bone and muscle health.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of a person's vitamin D levels on the severity of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE) supported the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in spring 2020. The review concluded that there was currently no robust evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. The review is available at the following link:
In autumn 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and PHE were asked to re-consider the evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19. The resulting rapid guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 reiterated existing advice for everyone to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D during winter months and noted that there was not enough evidence on vitamin D and the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. However, NICE, PHE and the SACN will monitor emerging evidence on this issue. The guideline on vitamin D and COVID-19 is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng187
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of Calcifediol in the treatment of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A rapid review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), published in June 2020, concluded there was no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements, such as Calcifediol (a form of vitamin D), to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19.
In addition, a rapid review by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), published in June 2020, concluded that evidence currently does not support vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections in the general population of the United Kingdom.
Both NICE and SACN reviews emphasised the existing advice that vitamin D is essential for musculoskeletal health.
In September 2020, NICE published a Medicines Evidence Commentary on the clinical trial of Calcifediol in the treatment of COVID-19 by Castillo et al (2020). The Commentary concluded that “the study has many confounders so the results should be interpreted with caution. The clinical management of patients with COVID-19 should not be changed based on the results of this study.” The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked NICE and Public Health England to re-review the evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19, due to be published mid-December 2020.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the pilot clinical trials of Calcifeidiol in the treatment of COVID-19 at the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba, Spain; and, if not, whether they plan to do so in the future.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A rapid review by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), published in June 2020, concluded there was no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements, such as Calcifediol (a form of vitamin D), to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19.
In addition, a rapid review by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), published in June 2020, concluded that evidence currently does not support vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections in the general population of the United Kingdom.
Both NICE and SACN reviews emphasised the existing advice that vitamin D is essential for musculoskeletal health.
In September 2020, NICE published a Medicines Evidence Commentary on the clinical trial of Calcifediol in the treatment of COVID-19 by Castillo et al (2020). The Commentary concluded that “the study has many confounders so the results should be interpreted with caution. The clinical management of patients with COVID-19 should not be changed based on the results of this study.” The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has asked NICE and Public Health England to re-review the evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19, due to be published mid-December 2020.