Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale 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 evidence suggesting a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and susceptibility to covid-19.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE) commissioned the Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition (SACN) to examine new evidence on whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTIs). The SACN’s rapid review concluded that evidence currently does not support vitamin D supplementation to prevent ARTIs in the general United Kingdom population. The review reiterates the importance of vitamin D for bone and muscle health. The SACN will keep this topic under review and consider updating this assessment if emerging high-quality evidence suggests a change to existing conclusions. The review can be accessed at the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/g0ldpth1upfd7fw763ew3aqa3c0pyvky
PHE supported the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. NICE’s review concluded that there is currently no robust evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. The review can be accessed at the following link:
www.nice.org.uk/advice/es28/evidence/evidence-review-pdf-8777674477
Asked by: Graham Brady (Conservative - Altrincham and Sale West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage the maintenance of adequate vitamin D levels to support immune response during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England re-issued its advice on vitamin D supplementation in early April 2020, in response to the stay at home measures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It recommended that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms to mitigate the effects of reduced time outdoors. This advice was published on NHS.UK and related to protecting muscle and bone health. The advice is not about preventing COVID-19 or mitigating its effects. This guidance can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they plan to take in response to the report by Aging Clinical Experimental Research The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality, published on 6 May.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England (PHE) supported the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. NICE’s review, published in June 2020, concluded that there is currently no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19.
PHE re-issued its advice on vitamin D supplementation early in April 2020; whilst stay at home measures were in place it was recommended that everyone take a daily vitamin D supplement to keep bones and muscles healthy.
A copy of the NICE evidence review Vitamin D for COVID-19 is attached.
Asked by: Neil Gray (Scottish National Party - Airdrie and Shotts)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken an assessment of the scientific evidence in relation to the effect of lower levels of vitamin D on susceptibility to infection with covid-19.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE) commissioned the Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition (SACN) to examine new evidence on whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTIs). SACN’s review concluded that evidence currently does not support vitamin D supplementation to prevent ARTIs in the general United Kingdom population. The review reiterates the importance of vitamin D for bone and muscle health. This can be accessed at the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/g0ldpth1upfd7fw763ew3aqa3c0pyvky
PHE supported National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review emerging evidence on vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. NICE’s review concluded that there is currently no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. This can be accessed at the following link:
www.nice.org.uk/advice/es28/evidence/evidence-review-pdf-8777674477
Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of whether Vitamin D can help immune systems tackle covid-19.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE) is monitoring any new, high quality evidence on nutrition and COVID 19 and seeking further advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) as appropriate. PHE is currently carrying out a rapid review of recent evidence relating to vitamin D and the prevention of acute respiratory tract infections for SACN to consider.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of Vitamin D in the (a) treatment and (b) prevention of covid-19.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Public Health England (PHE) is monitoring any new, high quality evidence on nutrition and COVID-19 and seeking the advice of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) as appropriate. PHE is carrying out a rapid review of recent evidence relating to vitamin D and the prevention of acute respiratory tract infections for SACN to consider at its meeting in June 2020.
PHE is aware of reviews and trials underway further exploring the vitamin D and the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Examples of clinical trials underway on vitamin D and COVID-19 can be found at the following link:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=COVID&term=vitamin+d&cntry=&state=&city=&dist
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken into whether there is any correlation between COVID-19 infection and low levels of vitamin D.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Public Health England (PHE) is monitoring the evidence on nutrition and COVID-19 and seeking the advice of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) as appropriate. PHE is carrying out a rapid review of recent evidence relating to vitamin D and the prevention of acute respiratory tract infections for SACN to consider at its meeting in June 2020.