The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a body of independent experts, advises the Government on who should be offered vaccination through the national programme for COVID-19. JCVI advice continues to be aimed at reducing hospitalisation and mortality in those groups which are at higher risk of serious outcomes from the disease.<\/p>
<\/p>
Throughout the pandemic, older people have been amongst those most likely to experience severe disease if infected by SARS-CoV-2. Existing data on hospital admissions in the United Kingdom is consistent with the clinical risk continuing to be strongly age related, as well as associated with specified existing clinical conditions.<\/p>
<\/p>
The JCVI view based on the available data is that due to a combination of naturally acquired and vaccine derived immunity in the population, otherwise known as hybrid immunity, COVID-19 is now a relatively mild disease for most people. This is why JCVI advice to date is that the COVID-19 national programme should be targeted to those at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 disease. More information regarding current eligibility for seasonal vaccination is available in chapter 14a of the Green Book, a copy of which is attached.<\/p>
<\/p>
The JCVI continues to regularly review the emerging data on COVID-19 for each new campaign they recommend.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4948", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Markham"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Markham"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682689/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Greenbook-chapter-14a-4September2023 (1).pdf"} , "title" : "Attachment"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-23T15:34:07.11Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Vaccination\n"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain a vaccine-based immunity in the under-65s given the spread of the JN.1 COVID-19 sub-variant.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4983", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Earl Russell"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Earl Russell"} ], "uin" : "HL1659"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682690", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682690/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There are no plans to make the COVID-19 vaccines the Government holds for National Health Service use available for purchase. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a body of independent experts, advises the Government on who should be offered vaccination through the national programme for COVID-19. Vaccination for COVID-19 through the NHS is free for those eligible.<\/p>
Current COVID-19 vaccines offer good protection against serious outcomes but only short-lived protection from mild symptomatic disease. The aim therefore is to offer vaccination to those the JCVI advises are at higher risk of hospitalisation and death. This risk is strongly linked to older age and some specified clinical conditions.<\/p>
All vaccines that have been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for use in the United Kingdom may be prescribed by physicians privately as well as through the NHS. Currently COVID-19 vaccines are not available privately but as is the case for many other vaccines, manufacturers and providers are able to set up a private market alongside the NHS offer when they consider this viable and appropriate. The Government is supportive of the emergence of a private market for COVID-19 vaccines. Supply of vaccines for such a market would be, as with all other vaccines, a matter for the private providers working with manufacturers to obtain through the open market.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4948", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Markham"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Markham"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-23T15:34:33.957Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Coronavirus: Vaccination\n"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to making COVID-19 vaccines available for people to buy privately.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4983", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Earl Russell"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Earl Russell"} ], "uin" : "HL1660"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682691", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682691/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
All passenger cars placed on the UK market need to be Type Approved. This process ensures compliance with requirements for anti-theft and car alarm systems.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government is protecting vehicles from relay attacks through provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill. The Bill will create new offences to enable prosecution of those who possess, make, adapt, supply, or offer to supply electronic devices; where there are reasonable grounds to suspect those devices will be used for the purposes of vehicle theft.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4499", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Davies of Gower"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Davies of Gower"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-30T11:26:59.33Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Cars: Theft"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all cars sold in the UK meet appropriate anti-theft standards and are adequately protected from relay attacks.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4983", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Earl Russell"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Earl Russell"} ], "uin" : "HL1661"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682692", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1682692/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
For applications to the Turing Scheme for the next academic year, the department has been working with users across the education sector, including universities, to develop a new online application process that is as concise and user friendly as possible, reducing the application burden on education providers.<\/p>