(Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Health and
Social Care if he will make a statement on the covid-19 vaccine
roll-out.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care () [V]
We are in the midst of one of the toughest periods of this
pandemic. Yesterday saw 1,820 deaths, which is the highest toll
since the crisis began. As we endure these dark days and the
restrictions that we must all follow to save lives, we know that
we have a way out, which is our vaccination programme. Thanks to
the hard work of so many people, we now have an immense
infrastructure in place, which day by day is protecting the most
vulnerable and giving hope to us all.
I am glad to report to the House that we have now given more than
5 million doses of the vaccine across the UK to 4.6 million
people. We are making good progress towards our goal of offering
everyone in priority groups 1 to 4 their first dose by 15
February. That is a huge feat, and one in which we can all take
pride. We are vaccinating at a greater daily rate than anywhere
in Europe—twice the rate of France, Spain or Germany.
The first 5 million doses are only the beginning. We are opening
more sites all the time in cathedrals, food courts, stadiums,
conference centres, GP surgeries and many, many other places.
Today, a cinema in Aylesbury, a mosque in Birmingham and a
cricket club in Manchester have all come on board as part of 65
pharmacy-led sites across England that are joining our
vaccination programme this week. That ongoing expansion will help
us protect even more of the most vulnerable even quicker. From
today, we will also publish more localised, granular data, broken
down by NHS sustainability and transformation partnership area,
as well as by region, so that the public have the best possible
information about all this work.
This virus is a lethal threat to us all. As we respond through
this huge endeavour, let us all take comfort in the fact that we
are giving 200 vaccinations every minute. In the meantime,
everyone must follow the rules to protect the NHS and save lives.
We can do that safe in the knowledge that the tide will turn and
that, with science, we will prevail.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for granting this urgent
question. I also thank the Secretary of State for his update and
for all the time and devotion he gives to this matter, and the
vaccines Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for
Stratford-on-Avon (), who is doing an amazing job. Everyone is doing an
amazing job across the country to roll out this vaccine, and I
absolutely salute them all. They include my Westminster office
manager, Iona Cullen-Stephenson, who has been vaccinating.
In my part of rural East Sussex, the vaccine has been slow to
reach rural Rother, Battle and Heathfield residents. In the 200
square miles that I represent, only one surgery has been
vaccinating. That has got better from this week, and I welcome
that. I thank the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust team.
Adam Doyle and his team have been amazing to MPs.
I have three question to the Secretary of State about rural
areas. First, can we draw up a new vaccine contract for GPs that
guarantees that they will receive only AstraZeneca, and not
Pfizer, which they find difficult to store? Many GPs in my area
tell me that they will sign the contract if they can get
AstraZeneca only, so it would be just like the pharmacy contract.
Secondly, we will soon have the welcome challenge of delivering
the vaccine to priority groups 5 to 9. At the same time, we will
have to deliver the second dose to the priority 1 to 4 cohort,
who are more vulnerable. Can we ensure that the latter priority
groups go to the hubs, because those groups will find it easier
to travel, and that we use our local GP surgeries to re-dose
priority groups 1 to 4?
Thirdly, I know that the Government rely on the manufacturers for
supplies, but can we try to give more forward-looking supply
levels to our county teams so that they have indicative estimates
to enable them to plan better on the ground?
I welcome the statement from the Government. I would ask that
colleagues be given an opportunity every week to question members
of the Government. We receive updates from our own community
teams, and it is surely right that we should be able to put the
same questions and ideas to the Front Benchers.
Mr Speaker
Before I bring in the Secretary of State, I will just say that
this is your UQ, rather than Government coming forward with a
statement. We have had to ask for it.
On that last point, we typically do come forward with a statement
at least once a week, and I am very happy to answer questions at
any time.
Mr Speaker
Order. Can I just correct the Secretary of State? We have not had
one for over a week.
Typically, I have come forward at least once a week, and I am
very happy to do that and to respond to questions at any time. I
am very glad that the technology is working and I can do that
while self-isolating at home, as I am now.
On the substance of the questions asked by my hon. Friend the
Member for Bexhill and Battle (), the first thing I would say is that I am
absolutely delighted that there are new centres opening in
Sussex—in Ticehurst village hall this week—so that the roll-out
can reach all parts. I will consider the point that he makes
about cohorts 5 to 9, which will need the first dose of the
vaccine at the same point as we start the second dose for those
who have been vaccinated from the start of January. When we
restart with the second doses, it will be important to make sure
that they are available as close as possible to the largely
elderly population who will need them, and I will take away the
point that he raises.
The challenge on the contract is tied in with the first and third
of my hon. Friend’s questions. The challenge is essentially that
we have a lumpy supply. The manufacturers are working incredibly
hard to deliver the supply as fast as possible, and I pay tribute
to them and their work. It is challenging, however, and therefore
it is not possible to give certainty as far out as many GPs and
those who are delivering on the ground would like. The worst
thing would be to give false certainty. We do try to give
information about what is coming next week, but until the supply
smooths out, as I am sure it will over time, going further out
than that would give false certainty. The worst thing would be to
have GPs across the country booking in large numbers of people
and having to reschedule those appointments unnecessarily.
I will take into account the point that the Oxford-AstraZeneca
vaccine is easier to deliver in rural areas, and the request for
some people to be able to do that. At the moment, however, we
must use the contract that we have.
(Leicester South) (Lab/Co-op)
Yesterday I visited the vaccination centre at Leicester
racecourse, and it was inspirational to see the joy on the faces
of those who were vaccinated and the pride of the staff and
volunteers doing the vaccination. The figure of 4.6 million is
indeed welcome, and it is a reminder that when the NHS is put in
charge and tasked with implementing a large-scale project across
our communities, it gets on with it and delivers. The Secretary
of State has a target to vaccinate care home residents by the end
of the week. Will he update us on progress towards that target?
Today we have had the latest Imperial survey, and the findings
are alarming. It is especially concerning that infection rates
are so high in London, and yet London and the east of England
appear to be behind the rest of the country on vaccine roll-out.
Will he tell us what action is being taken to speed up
vaccination across London and the east of England?
The Imperial survey also highlights the disproportionate
infection rates among key workers and those from black, Asian and
minority ethnic backgrounds. Once the nine priority groups are
vaccinated, is it the Secretary of State’s expectation that we
will then move to prioritise key workers—teachers, police
officers, firefighters, transport workers, supermarket staff—who
are more exposed to the virus at the moment?
The Secretary of State will know that there are 11,000 community
pharmacists. That could mean up to 30,000 pharmacists at the
heart of delivering this vaccine. We should be using them not
just because of the volumes of doses they can administer, but
because they have years of experience of building trust and
vaccine acceptability within hard-to-reach groups and minority
ethnic communities. I was speaking to pharmacists this week in
Dudley who were telling me this. They also, by the way, raised
concerns about the wider supply of the consumables needed to
administer the vaccine. Can he guarantee that there will be no
delay or shortages in the delivery of this wider kit?
The new variants remind us that we have to go further and faster
on vaccination and work harder to break transmission chains.
Early analysis suggests the South African B1351 variant brings a
reinfection risk that means vaccines may need to be redesigned.
Has the Secretary of State got a contingency plan in place?
Finally, yesterday’s death numbers were truly horrific.
Vaccination has to go hand in hand with measures to suppress this
virus. That means further containment measures. Not everybody can
work at home comfortably or isolate themselves. The system is
still expecting families to go hungry to stop spreading
infection. Can I urge the Secretary of State again to fix sick
pay and give people proper financial support so that they can
isolate and we can drive infection rates down?
I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the NHS is doing a great
job, supported by so many people. In particular, I want to thank
the volunteers who have stepped forward—tens of thousands of
them—and are now working to deliver the vaccination programme
alongside NHS staff and, of course, members of our armed forces.
In fact, there are several Members of this House who are, as we
speak, supporting vaccination in vaccination centres, and some of
them are doing vaccinations themselves. I am very grateful to all
the volunteers.
The hon. Gentleman raises the question of pharmacies and,
absolutely, pharmacies are going to be incredibly important,
especially for reaching into those communities that may be
otherwise harder to reach. The NHS as a whole is highly respected
and trusted in all communities of this country so is well placed
to do that, and pharmacy colleagues within the NHS particularly
so, because they are often the closest to their communities. As I
have set out, we have opened 65 vaccination centres that are
pharmacy-led this week, with more to come.
The hon. Gentleman asks about the residents of elderly care
homes. I am delighted to say that 63% of residents in elderly
care homes have now received the vaccination. That is a really
significant increase over the last week. We are on track to
deliver on our goal of vaccinating elderly care home residents by
the end of this month, and I hope sooner than that.
Finally, the hon. Gentleman asks about the question of the
need—potential need—for vaccine redesign if there is a new
variant that is not effectively dealt with by these vaccines.
Obviously, we are vigilant on that and keep it under close
review. I am glad to say that the early indications are that the
new variant is dealt with by the vaccine just as much as the old
variant, but of course we are vigilant on the new variants we are
seeing overseas. He mentioned the South Africa variant, and there
is also a variant of concern that was first identified in Brazil,
and of course we are vigilant on those matters, too.
What I would say in summary is that all of these things just
support the need for everybody to follow the rules and stay at
home. It is critical that everybody does their bit to try to stop
the spread of this virus while we get the numbers under control
and bring them down, thus protecting the NHS and getting this
death toll down, because it is far too high.
Mr Speaker
Let us head to Surrey with the Chair of the Select Committee,
.
(South West Surrey) (Con) [V]
Thank you, Mr Speaker. This week the Office for National
Statistics said that prevalence rates nearly doubled during the
November lockdown, and today’s REACT—real-time assessment of
community transmission—study says that infections are still
rising. Is not the reality that these new strains are massively
more dangerous and harder to control than many realise? If we are
going to bring down the horrific death rates that we are now
seeing, should we not secure our border, with quarantine hotels,
end household mixing outside bubbles, and follow Germany in
mandating FFP2—filtering face piece—masks in shops and on public
transport, to give better protection to wearers?
We have looked at the question of personal protective equipment
with respect to the new variant, and the clinical advice I have
received is that the current guidelines are right and
appropriate. On international travel, as my right hon. Friend
knows, we brought in significant measures last week to close the
travel corridors, and we remain vigilant on what we need to do to
guard against new variants coming in from abroad. The new
variants do change this question, because it is about ensuring
not just that we do not get extra cases coming in from abroad—in
which case, if an area of a country has a lower case rate than
us, there is no more risk than that of people staying in this
country—but that new variants that might not be dealt with as
effectively by the vaccine do not arrive and that we stop them
coming. That is something on which have recently taken
significant action, and of course we keep it under very close
review.
Mr Speaker
We now head to the Scottish National party spokesperson,
, who is participating virtually and has one minute.
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP) [V]
Thank you, Mr Speaker. With supplies of the Pfizer vaccine
expected to be temporarily lower for a few months, and with
delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca supplies behind target, there
are both public and professional concerns. What level of supplies
can the Secretary of State guarantee over the coming weeks and
months, so that health services can plan appropriately? Given
that the UK has procured vaccines on behalf of the four nations,
how much of this reduced supply will come to Scotland, and was
knowledge of vaccine supply disruption behind the UK Government’s
insistence on removal of supply numbers from the Scottish
Government’s vaccine delivery plan?
As I have said many times, the supply of the vaccine is the
rate-limiting factor for the roll-out, and we share that supply
fairly and equally across the UK. There is a lumpy supply
schedule and making this stuff is not easy; it is not just a
chemical compound, as I have described many times. Ultimately,
this is a UK programme delivered in the devolved nations by the
NHS, which is doing brilliantly. A massive teamworking effort is
trying to get out as much as possible, as fast as possible, and
that teamwork is taking place not only across the four nations of
the UK, but with the suppliers to make sure that we get as much
supply as we can as quickly as we can.
Mr Speaker
Let us head to the Father of the House in Worthing,
.
(Worthing West) (Con) [V]
May I add to the good questions asked by my hon. Friend the
Member for Bexhill and Battle ()? My question was raised, in effect, by Shelagh
Fogarty of LBC in The Daily Telegraph today, who wrote about
confusion regarding the housebound as well as the homebound. We
know that people are going to be vaccinated in mass centres—I had
the chance to see one yesterday—and in local hubs and at home,
but too often people are sitting at home wondering which it is
likely to be. Could the Secretary of State get the partnerships
for integrated care—the sustainability and transformation
partnerships—to make public how soon they expect to get to most
of those who are over 80, especially in semi-rural
constituencies?
I can answer my hon. Friend’s question: we will offer vaccination
to everybody in the top four categories—the over-70s, the
clinically extremely vulnerable and health and social care
workers, including the residents in older people’s care homes—by
15 February. I am sure that my hon. Friend, like me and like many
of us in this House, gets asked by constituents all the time,
“When will the call come for me?” The answer is that we are
working through that list and we will reach all those groups with
an offer to be vaccinated on or before 15 February.
The exact order within that queue is for a local area to decide,
and sometimes people might get invited to two different methods
of vaccination, such as at one of the big sites and by their
local GP, and for people who are housebound there are roving
teams led by the local primary care networks to get out and
vaccinate them. So the offer will come, and people should be
assured that while, as of today, around two thirds of all
over-80s have been vaccinated—which is very, very good
progress—that means there is a third still to go, and we will get
to everyone and make sure everyone gets that offer to be
vaccinated by 15 Feb.
(Twickenham) (LD) [V]
Given the concerning data coming out of Israel regarding the
efficacy of the first Pfizer dose, which may be quite a lot lower
than first expected, are the Government planning to review their
policy of delaying the second Pfizer dose by 12 weeks, and,
specifically, will the Secretary of State consider giving
healthcare workers, who are being exposed to the highest viral
loads, an early second dose so that they get maximum protection,
because that is as important as personal protective equipment?
I am glad to say that I can reassure the hon. Lady that, having
looked into the data that underpins the article in The Guardian
that I think she is referring to, it supports the data on which
we have been basing our decision to move to a 12-week dosing
schedule—12 weeks from the first to the second dose. The
Government chief scientific adviser was asked about this by the
media yesterday and explained clearly why we were able to make
that decision, because around 89% efficacy comes from between
days 14 and 21 after the first dose. Of course we are looking at
this data, and we are in fact measuring the efficacy here at home
by matching the data between those who have been vaccinated and
those who test positive. We are monitoring that and will publish
that data as soon as it is clinically valid. This is an important
question, but I am glad to be able to reassure the hon. Lady that
the headlines that she read in The Guardian are not quite right.
(Great Grimsby) (Con) [V]
The NHS teams across North East Lincolnshire are working hard
caring for patients with covid, and are now doing a fantastic job
administering the much-welcomed vaccines. Will the Secretary of
State join me in congratulating them, and does he have plans to
introduce a personal vaccination record for travel and other
purposes?
I am delighted that in the Humber, Coast and Vale NHS area
142,000 people have now been vaccinated, and I am very grateful
to my hon. Friend and NHS colleagues and colleagues across the
House for that huge effort. I congratulate the local NHS in North
East Lincolnshire on the work they are doing in getting these
vaccines out. I was also able to talk to some North Lincolnshire
colleagues in the NHS who are doing a fantastic job, because they
have managed to get to all their care homes, which is absolutely
terrific. Lincolnshire is doing a great job with the vaccine
roll-out.
On my hon. Friend’s specific question about travel and the link
to vaccination, it is too early to have a firm view, because we
have to see the impact of vaccination on the transmission of the
disease. Obviously, when someone is vaccinated, that event goes
into their health record, which is held by the NHS; it is
recorded so they can demonstrate that they have been vaccinated
if needs be. However, for the time being, we are being very
cautious on travel because of the risk of new variants,
especially if there are new variants where the efficacy of the
vaccine is lower.
(Strangford) (DUP) [V]
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and his regular
updates. Will he outline what discussions he has had with the
Ministry of Defence to ensure that hospitals throughout the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland can avail
themselves of the highly skilled workforce and the logistical
expertise of the armed forces? For those who seem perplexed, will
he outline the rationale for making use of this tremendous weapon
in the arsenal in the fight against covid in the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and in saving lives? Will
he also join me in thanking the Northern Ireland Executive for
taking this step to save lives, regardless of any perceived
political point that others may shamefully make?
The armed forces have been incredible in their support for the
efforts that we have all had to go to nationally to tackle covid.
That is also true with the vaccination programme—especially the
logistical expertise that the hon. Gentleman refers to. This
UK-wide vaccination effort has been supported enormously by the
armed forces. I am very grateful to them for the work that they
have done, really going the extra mile to help save lives.
(Romsey and Southampton North) (Con) [V]
I am very worried about domiciliary carers who might be employed
privately or via an agency and how they will access the vaccine.
It is very probable that their employment status is not known,
yet they could be going into several homes per day, helping
vulnerable people. Can my right hon. Friend reassure me that
these brilliant carers will not be forgotten?
Yes, absolutely; that is incredibly important, and we are working
to ensure that as many as possible are identified. Category 6 in
the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
categorisation specifically identifies as part of the early
vaccination effort those carers who may not be paid carers in a
care home but nevertheless care for vulnerable people, because of
the incredibly important work that they do.
(Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
I am sure that every MP has families in their local community who
have been shielding for almost a year now because they have
family members who are clinically extremely vulnerable and,
indeed, housebound. The Secretary of State said that everybody
who is housebound should get a vaccination by 15 February, but as
yet no one seems to have seen any of that start. Will he confirm
when the Oxford vaccine will be given to those roving teams that
he mentioned, and how many people in this country are housebound
and are being identified as such to ensure that they do not miss
out on the vaccine?
Absolutely, that work is under way. In the hon. Lady’s
constituency specifically, I am delighted that Michael Franklin
chemist is starting its vaccination this week. It, along with the
local primary care team, will be able to reach people who may not
be able to travel. It is an incredibly important part of the
vaccination roll-out to make sure that we take the vaccine to
those who are housebound. Michael Franklin chemist will be using
the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which of course is much easier to
transport.
(High Peak) (Con) [V]
So far, there are three vaccination centres up and running in
High Peak. I pay tribute to all those who are working so hard to
roll out the vaccine locally. However, currently the rate of the
roll-out is being limited, not by the number of vaccination sites
or trained vaccinators, but by the supply of doses coming from
AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Will the Secretary of State outline what
steps he and his ministerial colleagues are taking to work with
those pharmaceutical companies to help them ensure that the
supply of vaccine continues to flow to High Peak as quickly as
possible?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the rate-limiting step is
the amount of supply. We are working closely with the two
companies, which are doing a terrific job. We talk to them all
the time, in trying to ensure that any blockages are removed.
They are going as fast as they can in producing the vaccine,
whether that is the Oxford vaccine, produced here in this
country, or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, produced in Belgium and
supplied to us. Everybody is working as fast as we can, and I am
delighted that the NHS is champing at the bit for more supply in
order to deliver it.
Across Derbyshire there have been more 70,000
vaccinations—70,332, according to the latest data I have, as of
17 January. Derbyshire has vaccinated 65% of its over-80s, which
is almost exactly the national average of 67%. Derbyshire is
doing a great job; I congratulate those in the NHS in Derbyshire,
and thank them for their efforts and their work. There is still a
lot further to go, but almost two thirds of Derbyshire’s over-80s
have been vaccinated. We have to keep at it and keep working hard
to make sure that all the vulnerable are protected, and then move
on to the rest of us.
(Kingston upon Hull East) (Lab) [V]
After questioning the Prime Minister last week, I am delighted
that the first community pharmacies are now taking part in the
vaccine roll-out, but just a few hundred of approximately 11,000
community pharmacies just does not seem enough—it is a tiny
proportion, leaving vast potential untapped. Will the Secretary
of State commit to ensuring that all General Pharmaceutical
Council-registered technicians will be allowed to administer
vaccines, so that they are available where they are most needed,
on every high street, in every community such as mine in east
Hull? Witham pharmacy is ready and willing to start vaccinating
now—let us get on with it.
[V]
At heart, I agree with the instincts of the hon. Gentleman. The
challenge is that we need to do this at scale. As supply is the
rate-limiting factor, it is very important that any vaccination
site can get enough people through to be able to use the vaccine
in time—we do not want to leave stocks in the fridge. Pharmacists
are experienced at vaccinating and pharmacy technicians can
vaccinate, and they are a very important part of the programme.
With pharmacies, we have started with the bigger sites that are
able to achieve a higher throughput. It is because supply is the
rate-limiting factor that we need to make sure that all supply is
used up quickly from the point at which it is distributed. That
is why we have taken that approach. I am thrilled that so many
pharmacies are now coming on stream; there is lots more to do.
(Ashfield) (Con) [V]
I volunteered in one of the brilliant vaccination hubs in
Ashfield and there is one thing that we are not short of: people
turning up every single day to get the vaccine. We need more
capacity, to win the war quicker and save more lives, so will my
right hon. Friend please tell me what he is doing to ensure that
the people of Ashfield and Eastwood get their vaccination as soon
as possible?
I am delighted that my hon. Friend is volunteering in a
vaccination centre; that is terrific. This is a big national
effort, and he is playing his part. Some 49,000 vaccinations had
been done in Nottinghamshire as of 17 January. Clearly we still
have to do more, but we are making very significant progress. As
I said, the rate-limiting factor is the amount of supply that we
get into the country, rather than, for instance, the enthusiasm
of GPs in the NHS or, indeed, the number of volunteers who have
stepped forward such as my hon. Friend.
(Lewisham East) (Lab) [V]
A constituent of mine, Mr Clive Tombs, recently reached out to me
regarding the crisis facing the London ambulance service. He told
me that no one he knows in the service has had a vaccine, despite
their being on the frontline of exposure to the virus. At the
same time, we have seen pictures of ambulances lined up for hours
waiting to get into A&E departments. Clive suggested that,
with some co-ordination from the Department, arrangements could
be made for ambulance staff to receive vaccines from hospitals
while they are waiting in the queue—if there is a surplus and to
prevent wastage. Has the Secretary of State considered that
possibility? Does he agree that that is a humble suggestion from
Clive when, in fact, frontline ambulance staff should be
prioritised for the vaccine?
Frontline ambulance staff absolutely are and should be
prioritised for the vaccine. They are in category 2, and we have
to make sure that that happens. I will take away Clive’s idea,
work on it and get back to the hon. Lady to see what progress we
can make.
(Henley)
(Con) [V]
I welcome the opening of vaccination centres across the country,
including one imminently at the Kassam stadium in Oxford, but at
a meeting that I attended last night of community leaders in
Oxfordshire, no one had an idea of when the vaccine centre at
Harwell would become operational. Could the Secretary of State
oblige?
[Inaudible.] the date when it will open. There is a huge amount
of investment going into Harwell to make sure that we have
cutting-edge vaccination manufacturing facilities for the future.
The project is being led by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of
State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, so I will
write to my hon. Friend with all the details.
(York Central) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
I have serious concerns that, after people have had their first
and, indeed, second vaccines, they will have a false sense of
security about their level of immunity; we know that the efficacy
even after two vaccines is not 100%. Will the Secretary of State
ensure that it is communicated clearly that people will still
need to follow the public health guidance of hands, face and
space of at least 2 metres, even after two vaccines and until it
is safe to do otherwise?
The hon. Lady raises an incredibly important point: someone who
has been vaccinated can still catch coronavirus for several
weeks. It is really important that people know that. When people
are vaccinated, they are told the time that it takes and the
limit of the effectiveness, especially in that early period, and
they are told very clearly that they still have to follow the
rules. That is an important part, especially until we can measure
the effectiveness of the vaccination programme on transmission.
Only yesterday, I reviewed the communications that go to people
when they have been vaccinated, and they are very clear and
robust, but it is important that everybody, post-vaccination,
continues to follow those rules, both to bring the number of
cases down because of the impact on transmission and to protect
themselves. The vaccine is the way out, but it does not work
immediately, and people still need to be cautious.
(Stockton South) (Con)
From policemen to teachers and shop workers to bus drivers, our
key workers have been on the frontline in this pandemic, and we
owe them so much. Once the most vulnerable in society have been
vaccinated, will my right hon. Friend look to prioritise those
who put themselves in harm’s way to help others?
My hon. Friend makes a characteristically astute point. The
priority, of course, has to be those who are clinically most
vulnerable, and after that we will make a decision. I have called
for a national debate on who should go next. We will look at the
data on transmission and who transmits most, and we will also
consider key workers, who are often on the frontline, whether
that is teachers, bus drivers or others. That is something that
we are actively considering, and I will take his suggestion on
board.
(Luton North) (Lab) [V]
The success of any vaccine roll-out relies on reaching every
person who needs it. Research presented to SAGE—the Scientific
Advisory Group for Emergencies—worryingly found that just 28% of
black, Asian and minority ethnic people intended to be vaccinated
compared with 85% of white British people. That is a huge
disparity. I asked this question on 11 January but got only a
holding answer, so I will ask it again: what is the Secretary of
State doing to work with the most vaccine-hesitant and vulnerable
groups?
It is an incredibly important question. We are doing a huge
amount of work on it. It is being led by the Under-Secretary of
State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for
Stratford-on-Avon ()—the vaccines roll-out Minister—who I think is sitting
on the Front Bench. The need to reach all communities is
paramount and that is ongoing now.
(Epsom and Ewell) (Con) [V]
One of the sadnesses of the past year has been the way in which
families have been unable to see relatives in care homes, often
in the last few months of their lives. I commend the Secretary of
State for his focus on vaccinating care home residents. All those
families want visits to start again. What message can he give
them about how quickly he can unlock care home visits again for
those families? Will he also assure care homes that the
Government still regard the lateral flow tests, which many want
to use to vet potential visitors, as viable, reliable and able to
be depended on to allow visits?
Yes. That last point is very important and we published extensive
analysis that supports that view. On the broader point, we are
going to look at the effectiveness in the real world of the
vaccine as it is being rolled out and make sure that we look at
who has been vaccinated and who is then testing positive in
future to see the real-world effectiveness of the vaccine
roll-out. Once we can see that effectiveness in the real world,
we will then be able to consider all the different restrictions
that are in place. Visiting care homes is obviously one of the
restrictions that we had to bring in, but I entirely understand
its consequences and the impact that it has on the lives of some
of the most vulnerable people in society.
(Glasgow Central) (SNP) [V]
The UK has acquired the rights to vaccinate more than the entire
population multiple times over, as have many other developed
nations. Will the Secretary of State tell us what steps the UK
Government are taking to make sure that surplus doses of the
vaccine are shared with less developed countries around the
world, and will he encourage other countries to do likewise?
We have put more money into the international effort to ensure
that everybody around the world can be vaccinated than any other
country. That is not just more as a proportion of our GDP; it is
more cash that has gone into these international efforts across
the UK. We can do that because of the strength of our
international commitment as a country, so I am very pleased that
we have been able to do that. Turning that money into
vaccinations is important and a huge amount of work is being done
by COVAX to make that happen. The UK can be proud of the work
that we have done to support access for the most vulnerable, both
in terms of the cash that we have put in and because it is UK
research, backed by the UK Government, that has led to the Oxford
vaccine, which is one of the two most appropriate for use in the
developing world.
(North West Durham) (Con)
There has been some great vaccine stuff happening in North West
Durham, with 98% of the care homes done and the housebound having
been started from last week. I thank the people working in the
Crook and Tanfield View vaccine centres locally. I have heard
that the pharmacy down in Bishop Auckland that is helping some of
my constituents has just got the vaccine. However, I have a big
rural area, with some people more than 10 miles from a vaccine
centre, so will the Secretary of State let us know when those
small hubs are going to be started and when the smaller community
pharmacies in my constituency will get the vaccine to help to
ensure that everybody across the country gets it as quickly as
possible?
My hon. Friend is quite right to praise the teams across the
north-east who have been doing an unbelievable job. The
vaccination of 98% of residents in his area is something we
should all celebrate. Making sure that everybody is within 10
miles of a vaccination centre is important. In the very rural
areas that may include being 10 miles from a mobile site, because
we will send in mobile sites to the most rural areas. Crucially,
by 15 February everybody will have the offer of a vaccine.
Sometimes they may get two offers. One might be to travel, for
instance to go to Newcastle where there is a vaccination centre,
but if they get that invitation they can still wait to have the
more local offer of a jab from their primary care network. There
are different ways to make it happen, but he is absolutely right
on the importance of getting the vaccine available for all.
(Brighton, Kemptown) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
Without increasing the 2 million doses a week to 5 million, we
are going to be administering the vaccine to the adult population
until the end of the year. That causes great anxiety. People are
confused and unclear about if and when they will get a dose,
particularly informal carers who worry that they are not on
anyone’s list. Will the Secretary of State consider requiring
doctors and the NHS to text or write to all patients to outline
where they are on the list, so that people have a better
reasonable expectation of when they will be vaccinated? That
would enable them to ensure their prioritisation is correct, and,
actually, stop them phoning up surgeries and blocking up phone
lines to ask questions about when they are going to get their
vaccine.
All those who are over 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable will
have that offer before 15 February. What that means in practice
is that if you receive a letter when measures are put in place
recommending that you shield—that letter comes from either me or
the Communities Secretary—then you are on the list to be
vaccinated before 15 February. After that, we will continue
through the JCVI cohorts, which of course includes, in cohort
six, those who are vulnerable but not in the clinically extremely
vulnerable group. We will get there, and we will invite people
according to their clinical need. My recommendation to the hon.
Gentleman’s constituents is that they should wait for the NHS to
get in contact with them. We have a programme to make sure that
everybody is reached.
(Eddisbury) (Con) [V]
I join my right hon. Friend in praising the vaccinators,
pharmacists, armed forces, NHS staff, support staff and
volunteers right across the country, including in my
constituency, for the considerable contribution they have already
made to the national vaccine roll-out effort. To continue that
acceleration, what action is he taking to ensure that all elderly
residents in the first priority groups are aware that if they
have not already, they can get their jab administered locally in
the next few weeks through contact from their own GP practice?
We have been in contact with all those who have been invited to
come forward so far. For those who have not been yet invited to
come forward and are in the top four groups, we will be in
contact before 15 February. May I just add that my hon. Friend
himself has been volunteering in his local vaccination centre,
doing his part on the frontline? I think we should all thank him
for that.
(Bristol East) (Lab) [V]
I am very pleased that my mother, my aunt and my uncle are all
having their vaccinations today, so it seems that the roll-out to
the over-70s is going well in Bedfordshire at least. May I ask
about young carers? We know that the 10 to 19-year-old group is
at particular risk of transmitting covid, if not at risk of
suffering badly from it. Many of them will be looking after
people who are in the clinically vulnerable group, but at the
moment it seems that they will not be prioritised for
vaccination, just the people who have more professional caring
responsibilities. Will the Secretary of State add young carers to
his list of people who, for the sake of the people they care for,
will be vaccinated early?
I will absolutely look into that. I join the hon. Lady in
praising the roll-out in Bedfordshire, which is going well. It is
wonderful to hear the personal stories of so many people whose
vulnerable family members have been vaccinated. The vaccination
programme is touching us all; we just have to get it done as
quickly as possible to make people as safe as possible as fast as
we possibly can.
(Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
Coronavirus deaths are 10% higher in areas with only slightly
higher air pollution. Will the Secretary of State bear that in
mind in respect of his priorities for the rolling out of the
vaccine? More importantly, will he ensure that the World Health
Organisation air-quality limits are introduced to the Environment
Bill next week, so that they have immediate effect and are
legally binding? That will save thousands of lives from
coronavirus and prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths
from air pollution next year, given that as many people die from
pollution every year as died from coronavirus last year.
The hon. Gentleman is an irrepressible campaigner on tackling air
pollution. There is a link between air pollution and a person’s
risk of dying from covid, and I have been talking about that to
my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs.
(Sittingbourne and Sheppey) (Con) [V]
A large number of people in Sittingbourne and Sheppey who are
over the age of 80 have not yet received their covid
vaccinations—not because of a lack of will but because of a lack
of vaccine. Let me give an example: on the Isle of Sheppey, which
has a population of 40,000, local GPs need to vaccinate more than
1,000 people each week to reach the Government’s target of
vaccinating every person in the first four priority groups by
February. Last week, the Sheppey primary care network was
promised 400 doses, but eventually received only 300. This week,
it has been promised 1,200 doses, but local GPs worry that this
quantity will be cut, too. I appreciate that my right hon. Friend
is constrained by the number of doses delivered by the suppliers,
but what can he do to ensure that both my local primary care
networks in Sittingbourne and Sheppey receive the quantity that
they need to meet the Government’s target?
My hon. Friend asks an astute question which, in a way,
demonstrates the challenge we have. There is a demand for more
early information about when vaccine will arrive but, because of
the lumpy supply, if we give too much prior notice, we sometimes
have to make adjustments like the one my hon. Friend described.
The good news is that we are on track to deliver the quadrupling
of the amount of vaccine to the Isle of Sheppey that he
describes. Like him, I very much hope that the full 1,200 doses
will come.
We are sending more doses to the areas that have made the least
progress so far, to make sure that by 15 February we get that
offer to everybody equally, irrespective of where they live,
across England for the English NHS and, indeed, we are working
with the devolved Administrations to make sure that that offer is
delivered fairly right across the UK. There is prioritisation of
the areas that have made least progress so far, and I am working
with NHS colleagues to make sure that that is done as fairly and
effectively as possible.
(Upper Bann) (DUP) [V]
I thank the Secretary of State for the support being given to the
people of Northern Ireland. I know he will join me in thanking
our frontline healthcare workers who are delivering the vaccine
in our communities.
The Secretary of State will know that the key to maximising the
uptake of a vaccine is the assurance of its efficacy, but also
that if people take part, it will enable life to return to
normal—it will enable schools and business to reopen and family
life, particularly for elderly relatives either at home or in
care homes, to be restored.
The public need that hope, yet while we hear much positivity, we
also hear of long-term restrictions of many aspects of what was,
and should again be, normal life. Can the Health Secretary give
an assurance that he will provide leadership on the public
messaging and its tone, and set out a route map for the return of
the liberty and freedoms that we once enjoyed, and want to enjoy
again?
Absolutely. We all want to enjoy those liberties again, and we
want to do so safely. Balancing those two things is at the core
of the conundrums of policy, and has been throughout this
pandemic. The critical thing is to make sure we get this vaccine
rolled out as fast as possible. That is at the centre of the
route out, throughout these islands and, indeed, across the
world. I understand the yearning for a clearer map out, but until
we know the impact of the vaccine on transmission, it is hard to
put timescales on that.
We have to watch the data. Of course I want to see the number of
cases come down, but the reason why that matters so much is that
we want to see the number of hospitalisations come down. We want
fewer people to die each day from this dreadful disease. The
numbers published yesterday—more than 1,800 people died—were
truly terrible, and we need to make sure we protect life.
(Southend West) (Con) [V]
Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Anthony
McKeever and his team on ensuring that people in Southend are
vaccinated? Will he reassure me that Southend will receive its
fair share of vaccines, that the four most vulnerable groups will
all be vaccinated by the middle of February, and that people in
their 80s and 90s will not be asked to travel long distances to a
hub in Wickford?
Yes, that is our goal. All those things are what we are aiming
for. I am really grateful for my hon. Friend’s support. Eighty
thousand people have now been vaccinated in his area of Mid and
South Essex. We have made a whole load of progress, but there is
much more to do to make sure the vaccine is fairly there for
everyone.
(Oxford
West and Abingdon) (LD) [V]
The flooding over the past few days has already displaced
thousands from their homes, and threatens many more over the
coming days. For those who are elderly or vulnerable, wondering
how they are going to receive the coronavirus vaccine is an added
worry that they do not need, especially if they have to move to
other regions to stay with family or into temporary
accommodation, which the Secretary of State knows can sometimes
be for months. Can he tell us whether the Government have a plan
for vaccinating people displaced due to flooding?
Yes, of course. Flooding brings additional challenges, but we
will overcome them.
(North Devon) (Con) [V]
The vaccination roll-out programme is a huge national
success—well done! I thank everyone involved nationally and
locally. However, my inbox is overflowing with messages from
elderly residents desperately worried that, despite being over
80, 90 and even 100, they have still heard nothing from their GP.
Given that other parts of the UK are currently vaccinating those
who are significantly younger, what reassurance can my right hon.
Friend give to my North Devon constituents?
The reassurance I can give to my hon. Friend and, more
importantly, everybody living in North Devon, is that we will get
there. We set the goal of 15 February for everybody in the four
most vulnerable groups—the over-70s and others—to be vaccinated.
They will have an offer of the vaccination arrive so that they
can be vaccinated before 15 February. The reason we set that date
is to make sure that everybody across the country gets it in a
fair time. That is why we are putting more vaccine into the areas
that have not made as much progress yet. However, across Devon,
just under 100,000 people had been vaccinated by the 17th—a few
days ago. By now, I am sure that more than 100,000 people have
been vaccinated in Devon. That shows that the roll-out is
happening, and we are absolutely determined to reach all parts.
(North Durham) (Lab)
May I join my parliamentary neighbour, the hon. Member for North
West Durham (Mr Holden), in thanking those working in primary
care to roll out the vaccine in County Durham? They tell me that
if they get the vaccine, they can get it out to those who need
it. Last week, though, the primary care trust vaccine hub in
Chester-le-Street had to be put on standby because there was no
vaccine arrival. Today the Secretary of State has again announced
new vaccine sites, and suggested that over-70s are going to get
the vaccine. In my constituency, people over 80 are still
waiting. Can I plead with the Secretary of State to stop the hype
and spin, to just be honest with people and with primary care if
there is a problem with supply, and to ensure that primary care
has enough notice to be able to organise this process, because it
is causing a huge deal of pressure on an already overworked
system?
I am delighted to say that primary care—the GP surgeries across
the country—are rising to the challenge brilliantly, especially
in County Durham, which is doing an absolutely magnificent job.
It is far ahead of the national averages in terms of the roll-out
and is doing brilliantly. Of course there are challenges; as the
supply comes in, we are getting it to the frontline as fast as we
can, and that does mean some rapid turnaround times. I urge the
right hon. Gentleman to cheer up and back his local team. Yes, it
is difficult, but I know that we will get there.
(North Thanet) (Con) [V]
My right hon. Friend is engaged in a herculean task, and I think
we all appreciate the work that he is doing. I know that he is
aware of what he described as the “lumpy” delivery of vaccines,
particularly in East Kent. The vaccines Minister—the
Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the hon.
Member for Stratford-on-Avon ()—is sitting on the Front Bench, and I hope that he is
addressing that issue as we speak.
Let me turn to two further matters. Would my right hon. Friend
the Secretary of State consider ensuring that all hospitals be
allowed to have supplies to vaccinate their employees, because at
the moment national health service employees working in hospitals
are still having to travel far too far to get vaccinated? And
when the priority groups have been addressed, will my right hon.
Friend give particular attention to the needs of teachers, so
that they can get back to work, and to the police constabulary,
who are exposed every day of their working lives?
My right hon. Friend is quite right to raise the issue of getting
supply out to East Kent. In fact, we are opening more centres
just outside his patch, in Folkestone, next week. We are putting
more vaccination into East Kent, and putting the support there to
ensure that the vaccination roll-out can happen. I am glad to say
that the majority of over-80s have now been vaccinated, but there
is clearly still a lot of work to do. He is absolutely right to
highlight the case that both teachers and police officers are
understandably making—that, after we have got through the
priority groups according to clinical need, we should consider
their case for early vaccination.
(Gateshead) (Lab) [V]
On Tuesday, the Education Committee heard from the deputy chief
medical officer that schools were as safe for pupils and staff as
anywhere else, but it now seems that this assertion was based on
Office for National Statistics ad hoc survey data that appears to
be three months out of date. The assertion about safety in
schools was repeated by the Secretary of State on TV this
morning. However, more evidence—from the Department for Education
itself—shows that infection rates among school staff, teachers
and support staff were significantly higher than among the
working population as a whole in December. If the Government are
determined to reopen schools—we all want that to be a major
priority—surely school staff should be ramped up the vaccination
priority list, based on this evidence?
We are very much open to the vaccination of teachers, and school
staff more broadly, whom the hon. Gentleman mentioned, once we
have got through those who are clinically most vulnerable. The
vaccine programme has to be used to save lives, first and
foremost; I think everybody agrees with that. Of course we look
at all available data and information in forming that view.
(North East
Bedfordshire) (Con) [V]
I welcome the opening today of the Weatherley Centre in
Biggleswade, which fills a gap in delivery across Bedfordshire,
but I wish to raise with the Minister another question that has
arisen in Biggleswade and get some policy advice from him.
Penrose Court, a residential care home in Biggleswade, has
recorded positive cases among residents. The home was advised
that there would therefore be a delay in the vaccinations. Today,
I understand from the clinical commissioning group that those
vaccinations are back on track, but can the Minister advise the
House what the policy is on vaccination of residents in care
homes where a recent positive case has been recorded?
That is a really important question. For the most part, even when
there is an outbreak, a care home can offer vaccinations with its
local primary care network to those residents who do not have
covid. Of course, when this is done, very scrupulous infection
control needs to be in place. For instance, many care homes have
vaccinated in a garden hub to make sure that the vaccination is
outside, which is, of course, so much safer if there is an
ongoing outbreak. Sometimes, an outbreak in a care home is so
significant that it has to wait, and that has happened in a
couple of cases, but all these decisions should be based on the
local clinical advice of the GPs who are in the lead on the
roll-out of the vaccination to care homes. I am really glad that
this situation has been resolved in Biggleswade, and, of course,
I am delighted at the new pharmacy-led vaccination centre in
Biggleswade, which, as my hon. Friend said, is plugging a gap. He
will have heard colleagues across the House praising the roll-out
of the vaccinations in Bedfordshire.
(Ealing North) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
I thank the local NHS staff in my constituency for their hard
work to vaccinate people. In the spirit of working together with
them, I raised my concerns about the lack of vaccination sites,
particularly around Greenford and Northolt in the northern part
my borough, and they agreed with my suggestion that we ask Boots
to consider opening a community pharmacy site at their Greenford
Westway Cross retail park store. I raised this plan with Boots,
which was positive and helpful, and now we need support from NHS
England. Will the Health Secretary please ask NHS England to look
urgently at lending its support for this plan, so that we can
move forward without delay?
Let us see what we can do.
(Warrington South) (Con) [V]
I know that the Secretary of State will want to join me in
praising the response of GPs, NHS and care staff and volunteers
in Warrington, who, working at the two community hubs in the
town, will have vaccinated, by the end of tomorrow, around 17,000
people from this area. Looking forward, can he tell the House
what plans he has to open 24-hour vaccination centres in the
north-west, so that anyone who, say, works shifts or has caring
responsibilities can access a vaccination at a time when they
might be available?
Absolutely. We will pilot that approach and see how much demand
there is for overnight vaccination. As my hon. Friend says, it
could be particularly appropriate for shift workers, and of
course the NHS runs shifts in every hospital because of the need
to care for patients overnight, so that is a very important point
that he raises. Let me also say how glad I am that we have been
able to open the Imaan pharmacy in Bewsey in Warrington, further
expanding the vaccine roll-out in his area.
(Slough) (Lab) [V]
I commend everybody involved in the vaccine roll-out programme,
as they have ensured that all care home residents in Slough have
received their first dose. I also thank the Health and Social
Care Secretary and his team for agreeing to site one of the
mass-vaccination centres in my Slough constituency, which has
been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic. Can the Secretary of
State advise when detailed data will be published on the vaccine
roll-out, so that local public health teams and others can
identify issues, and will that data be by age, ethnicity, region
and level of deprivation?
This afternoon, we will be publishing much more detailed local
information, so that will be available, and as the roll-out
continues, we will publish more and more granular information.
The hon. Member is quite right about Slough—it has had a tough
time in this pandemic—but it will get the vaccination centre,
which is great. It was a real pleasure earlier in the week to
have a Zoom with members of the Slough NHS team who have
delivered this, with every single resident of a care home in
Slough being vaccinated and getting their first jab. It is an
absolutely terrific performance by the team in Slough, and I am
glad that he is as proud of them as I am. They are a model that
all can look to.
Mr Speaker
Can I just say to the Secretary of State that I am about to hand
over to the Deputy Speaker?
(South Dorset)
(Con) [V]
First, can I praise and thank all the NHS staff in Dorset, who
are doing a wonderful job fighting this pandemic? Secondly, we
hear from some scientists that they want the country locked down
until June, when 70% of the population will have been inoculated,
and according to Sir , vaccines
are not going to do all the “heavy lifting”, but what are we
vaccinating for if we cannot begin to reopen our devastated
economy and regain our freedoms? Does my right hon. Friend agree
that this is about risk mitigation, not elimination, and that a
path out of this lockdown is a decision for politicians, not
scientists and modellers?
The decisions that we take are decisions, rightly, for
politicians, guided by the best possible science. The challenge
is how to get back the freedoms my hon. Friend rightly refers to
as quickly and as safely as possible. The safety element of that
is paramount, as is the speed. The one thing that will help on
both is to roll out the vaccines as quickly as possible and to
monitor their roll-out very closely so that we can see the effect
of the vaccine on transmission. As we see more and more
information about that, we will be able to make clearer judgments
about the release and when we are able to lift some of these
restrictions under which we are all having to live.
(Nottingham South) (Lab) [V]
Clear and timely communications are vital in maximising the
take-up of the vaccine. Where people have not responded to an
invitation letter, I understand that they will receive a phone
call and that phone calls will also be used to ensure that all
appointment slots are used. Can the Secretary of State assure me
that calls will be accompanied by SMS text messages to ensure
that deaf people and those with a hearing loss are not left
behind?
Wherever possible is the answer. The truth is that the NHS has
not in the past collected people’s mobile numbers routinely or
their email addresses, hence why this roll-out is primarily being
done through invitations by letter. I hope that, actually as part
of this roll-out, one of the things we will be able to do is make
sure that the NHS can put people’s email addresses and mobile
numbers on their clinical record, where people consent to that of
course, because we have seen in other countries such as Israel
that where a very large proportion of people have given their
mobile number and their email to the health system, we can get in
contact with people much more quickly. Having said all of that,
some people will never have a mobile phone and some people will
never have email, and this is a universal service—of course it
is—so letters and texts to those who have poor sight, and
ultimately phone calls, including on landlines, or teams going
round to people’s doors, are all important to make sure that
everybody gets access to the vaccine and can receive the
invitation.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
Order. Before I call , I just want to say that I want to try to get everybody
in, so we probably need to speed up a little bit.
(Bury North) (Con) [V]
Will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking Bury Council, our
local CCG, NHS staff, medical practitioners and all those
involved in the vaccine roll-out in Bury, Ramsbottom and
Tottington? Approximately 19,000 vaccinations will have been
given by the end of this week across the borough of Bury, and we
are confident that all frontline workers and care home residents
will be offered the vaccine by Sunday. It has been and continues
to be a magnificent effort.
That is absolutely fantastic to hear. Across Greater Manchester
as a whole, 187,947 vaccines have been done. It has been a huge
effort, and I am very grateful for my hon. Friend’s support.
(Ceredigion)
(PC)
Frustrations with the Welsh Government’s roll-out programme are
well documented, and health boards in Wales have this week had to
contend with some supply issues. Can the Minister reassure me
that any supply issues are being addressed? Given that Wales has
the largest proportion of people aged over 70 in the UK at over
17%, can he give us some reassurance that Wales will receive a
vaccine allocation that reflects the level of relative need?
All the three devolved nations are getting their vaccine
according to fair shares and at the same speed as England. While
supply is the rate limiting factor across the board, the same
supply is going in the right proportions across all four nations.
(Folkestone and Hythe) (Con) [V]
Yesterday I visited the vaccination hubs at the civic centre in
Folkestone and at Lydd airport, which along with the Oaklands
surgery in Hythe are doing a great job in vaccinating the local
community. Does my right hon. Friend agree that in Kent we also
need to see the mass vaccination centres opening as soon as
possible, which can process tens of thousands of people a week?
Yes, I agree with my hon. Friend, and I am delighted to say that
next week a new vaccination centre will open in Folkestone,
serving the people not only of Folkestone, but of the wider area
across parts of east Kent. That is in addition, of course, to the
brilliant work that GPs are doing in his part of the world.
(Hemsworth) (Lab) [V]
Wakefield CCG decided not to provide information to local
residents about the vaccination roll-out here. It said it feared
it would lead to awkward questions from a sceptical public about
differential treatment—a kind of postcode lottery for key
workers, the elderly and the chronically sick. Can the Secretary
of State confirm the comments he has made today, which I welcome,
about the release of more granular data? However, they are to be
provided by huge and remote sustainability and transformation
partnerships, so will we know what is happening at the local
level to maintain local public confidence? Finally, will he
comment on reports in the Health Service Journal today that next
week, the amount of vaccine will be cut by half in Yorkshire and
the Humber?
I am delighted that across West Yorkshire and Harrogate as a
whole, more than 150,000 vaccines have now been done. I would say
to anybody that coming forward for a vaccination when invited by
the NHS is the right thing to do. I am delighted to say that far
from sceptical, the public are hugely enthusiastic about this
vaccine programme, and we have seen that the public attitude and
enthusiasm to be vaccinated has shot up since we started
vaccinating on 8 December. People can see with their own eyes the
positive impact that it is making.
We have to ensure that the vaccination programme is fair right
across the UK. Some parts of the country, including parts of the
north-east and Yorkshire, have gone really fast early on, which
is terrific, but we have to make sure that the vaccination
programme is fair everywhere, so that everyone in the top four
groups can receive that offer of a vaccine by 15 February. We
will deliver on that.
(Chipping
Barnet) (Con)
Can the Secretary of State speed up the delivery of vaccines to
London, so that we can catch up with other areas? Will he also
emphasise that while the vaccine gives us all hope for the
future—hope that restrictions can start to be lifted—until that
point we have to be cautious and stick to the rules, because the
virus is lethal and is putting immense pressure on our hospitals,
and sadly we are not out of the woods yet?
I agree with every word that my right hon. Friend said. I am
really pleased that this week Brand Russell pharmacy in East
Barnet is opening for vaccinations, and we are accelerating the
amount of vaccinations in London, which is the region in England
that has the most to do.
(Livingston) (SNP) [V]
I fully appreciate and respect that the Joint Committee on
Vaccination and Immunisation has a very strict protocol for the
roll-out of vaccines, but have it and the Secretary of State
considered the notion that staff working to develop and produce
vaccines, like those at Valneva in my constituency, should get a
vaccination as soon as possible? Will he give some consideration
to this and discuss it with the JCVI? I will be writing to him
shortly.
I will consider that request given the importance of the vaccine
supply, which is critical for everybody else to get their
vaccinations too.
(Chatham and Aylesford) (Con) [V]
This morning Maidstone Hospital rather wonderfully did its
10,000th vaccination. Medway Maritime Hospital has done 5,000,
Malling and Blackthorn primary care networks have pretty much
completed the first priority groups, and Lordswood PCN, which is
only two weeks old, is motoring along to deliver the vaccine to
vulnerable groups in Chatham. This is all down the incredible
work of all those involved, and I am sure the Secretary of State
will join me in paying tribute to them. However, the one piece of
feedback I repeatedly get across my constituency is the lack of
consistency in supply, so will he reassure me that those who are
delivering on target will not be penalised by their own success
and that they will get the stock they need to continue to
vaccinate priority groups on the list?
Yes, of course, we have to make sure that the priority groups are
all offered the vaccine everywhere in the country and are able to
be vaccinated by 15 February. I totally agree with her about the
great effort locally. Reaching 10,000 vaccinations is superb. I
particularly want to thank Ritchie Chalmers, Cheryl Lee, John
Weeks and the whole team at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS
Trust. There have been very significant challenges in Kent over
the past few months. Thankfully, the case rate appears to be
coming down in Kent, which is very reassuring. We have to get
this vaccine out as quickly as possible.
(St Albans) (LD) [V]
In St Albans, our GP-led vaccination centre at Batchwood Hall is
doing a brilliant job, but it only has enough vaccine supply for
two days a week, not seven. Now we are hearing rumours that the
NHS might set up a large hub in St Albans, which we would not
need if our Batchwood Hall centre was getting the vaccines that
it needs. Can the Secretary of State confirm that the NHS will be
putting all its efforts into helping to put the infrastructure in
place in parts of the country that need to catch up, rather than
dislocating infrastructure in areas that already have excellent
centres but just need that extra vaccine?
The truth is that supply is the great limiting factor, so we do
need to put the vaccination centres where they are most needed,
and pharmacy has an important role right across the country. The
hon. Lady is right that the great inhibiting factor is the amount
of supply, and that is what we are constantly calibrating to get
people as much supply, with as much notice, as we can, given the
challenges that we all face.
(Ludlow) (Con) [V]
I applaud my right hon. Friend and his colleagues across the NHS,
especially here in Shropshire, for the massive effort by so many
people to get this vaccination into those in the highest priority
groups so quickly. However, there are still some parts of the
country where only care homes and NHS frontline staff have been
vaccinated, and in the South West Shropshire primary care
network, no one in the community over 80 has yet received the
vaccine, and none are expected to until late next week. May I ask
my right hon. Friend, in common with the pleas made by a number
of colleagues, to look at prioritising deliveries for those areas
where the highest priority groups have yet to receive the
vaccinations that they are being led to believe are now widely
available?
Across Shropshire, and Telford and the Wrekin, 14,000 doses have
been delivered to the over-80s. I will look into the specific
question of the primary care network that my right hon. Friend
raises, because I was not aware of that fact. Clearly, Shropshire
is vaccinating the over-80s but I will look into that specific.
It is true that, right across the country, the catch-up is
absolutely vital in areas if they are behind, because it is right
that this is done fairly across the country. I will get back to
my right hon. Friend with the details of the individual case that
he raises.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab) [V]
Is it true, as has been reported, that up to a fifth of staff in
some care homes have refused the vaccine? If so, does the
Secretary of State have data on this and a plan to address it?
We are aware that there are some care homes in which the take-up
by staff is not universal—not 100%—although I do not quite
recognise the specific figure that the hon. Gentleman gave. I am
glad to say that in some parts of the country where a team have
gone into a care home and not all the staff have taken the
vaccine, when they have returned a couple of weeks later they
have been able to complete the roll-out to staff because the
staff have been reassured, having seen the roll-out to their
colleagues and residents, that it is okay to get the vaccine. The
good news is that, overall, take-up and enthusiasm for take-up
are very high. We have been hearing today of some cases where
there has been a 100% take-up among residents of care homes, and
I am really pleased about that. I am particularly pleased that
the overall enthusiasm to get the vaccine among the population as
a whole has risen quite substantially over the last six weeks. We
have worked very hard on this. It is an incredibly important
issue and we absolutely have a plan in place to address it.
(Gower) (Lab) [V]
Can the Secretary of State confirm that people living with a
terminal cancer diagnosis are to be included in the vulnerable
groups for vaccination?
The vulnerable groups are set out clinically. Those who are
clinically extremely vulnerable include those to whom we have
written, in some cases regularly, during the pandemic. That is a
clinical decision, and I think it is right that it should be a
clinical decision.
(Peterborough) (Con) [V]
The vaccine roll-out in Peterborough is going well. Sites are
open at the City Hospital and at a number of GP surgeries and
medical centres across the city. I want to place on record my
thanks to everyone working in these centres across Peterborough,
but I still feel Peterborough needs a mass vaccination centre in
our city centre. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that there are
plans for a mass vaccination centre in Peterborough that will
serve many thousands of people in my city?
Yes, we are going to have a mass vaccination centre in
Peterborough, alongside all the work that the GPs are doing, and
we hope that it will be open next week. I want to thank the NHS
in Peterborough for the work that it is doing and for getting
this going.
(Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/Co-op) [V]
I praise again the work of Cardiff and Vale University health
board for its vaccine roll-out. Yesterday it delivered 10 times
the number of vaccines in one day that it did on its first day of
delivery of the programme; it is doing an incredible job. The
Secretary of State rightly said that supply was the limiting
factor, and this morning we heard that the Wockhardt factory in
north Wales had been affected by flooding. Can he confirm whether
any supplies have been damaged or affected? We have also heard
that the Serum Institute of India factory has been affected by
fire this morning. What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure
that we have more manufacturing capacity and more fill and finish
capacity, and that we have a back-up in case something goes
wrong, which would be devastating for the supply of this critical
vaccine?
We absolutely have plans to make sure that we can get the vaccine
out, even with significant challenges. We do not take any supply
from the Serum Institute of India; that supply is for the
developing world. Wockhardt, the company that does fill and
finish in Wrexham, has put out a statement around the serious
rain and flooding that there has been in and around Wrexham over
the last few days, and this is obviously a critical factor.
On the hon. Gentleman’s point about ensuring that we have the
manufacturing capability, we are investing in that capability for
the medium term. We can make so much of the Oxford-AstraZeneca
vaccine in the UK right now because of the work that was done
with the vaccine taskforce over the summer, getting in the
capability and the manufacturing. Even when the vaccine was not
the major topic of discussion, we were working incredibly hard to
expand UK capabilities. We took the approach that we should buy
from abroad and make it here at home. It is about getting vaccine
into people’s arms, no matter where it comes from, so long as it
is safe and effective and does the job. That is what is happening
across the whole UK.
It is really good to finish with a question from a Welsh
colleague, because it demonstrates that this is a programme that
can, I hope, bring the whole country together. Everybody is on
the same side trying to make it happen, and we will all keep
working on it together. I thank everybody involved, and I thank
all colleagues for their enthusiasm and support for the vaccine
roll-out programme.
