Covid-19 Vaccination Programme 2021-02-23

2021-02-23

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Direct Answer
Richard Holden Con
Basildon and Billericay
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The MP is inquiring about the progress of the UK's vaccine programme.
What progress has been made on the covid-19 vaccination programme?
I am delighted that on 14 February we hit our target of vaccinating 15 million people across the UK and now more than 17.7 million people—one in three adults in the country—have been vaccinated. The NHS is delivering more than 250 vaccinations every minute, on average, and we are vaccinating at a greater weekly rate than anywhere else in Europe.
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Q2 Direct Answer
Richard Holden Con
Basildon and Billericay
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The MP is following up on the link between the vaccine programme and the road map.
Will the Secretary of State just clarify the link between the vaccine programme and the road map, because it is the return to normality, as far as is possible, that we want to see as soon as possible?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to make this link, because not only are the vaccines important to keep each individual safe—we saw wonderful data yesterday about how effective they are at reducing hospitalisations and deaths—but the vaccination programme is crucial to the road map out of this pandemic. It is only because of the success of the vaccine programme that we are able to set out the road map in this way.
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Q3 Direct Answer
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The MP is concerned about the uneven vaccine distribution to care home staff.
Will the Secretary of State ensure that staff can get vaccinated when second doses are delivered to care homes?
Yes, when the vaccination programme goes to a care home, vaccines are offered both to residents and to staff, of course. We want to support the ability of more and more people to access the vaccine, and that includes care home staff. People who work in a care home can now go on to the national vaccination site and book themselves an appointment.
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Q4 Direct Answer
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The MP is concerned about the impact of vaccine-resistant strains.
More vaccine-resistant strains, such as the South African variant, could risk undermining the UK's vaccine programme. As they could come via any country, does the Secretary of State not agree that all travellers should undergo strict quarantine?
Yes, I do. All those who arrive in this country as passengers need to undergo quarantine, and we have both the hotel quarantine and home quarantine; all need to be tested; and all the positive test results are sent for sequencing so that we can spot any new variants.
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Q5 Partial Answer
Liz Kendall Lab
Leicester West
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The MP is concerned about the low uptake of vaccinations among elderly care home staff.
Will the Secretary of State confirm that more than 30% of those staff in England have not been vaccinated, and that the proportion rises to almost half of all staff in elderly care homes in London? Will he urgently set out precisely how the Government will increase uptake and tackle lies and misinformation about the vaccine among this vital group of workers?
Yes. We are absolutely all on the same side on this issue. To be totally clear for the hon. Lady, and all those listening, the Prime Minister set out that we would offer the vaccine to all residents of care homes by the end of January and to all staff by 15 February, and we achieved that.
Assessment & feedback
Tackling misinformation among staff
Rather Than Having A Political Ding-Dong About It
Response accuracy