Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Pharmaceutical Interventions

Tuesday 1 March 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister stated that vaccines remain the best line of defence against covid-19.
  • The offer of first, second, and booster vaccine doses remains open to the public.
  • A single dose of vaccine for five to 11-year-olds was deemed by JCVI to offer greater health benefits than potential risks.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Miriam Cates
NHS
Context

The MP is inquiring about the measures being taken to bolster defenses against covid-19, specifically focusing on vaccine and antiviral strategies.

Question

What steps he is taking to build covid-19 defences through pharmaceutical interventions. NHS staff and volunteers are working tirelessly on vaccination programmes. The offer of first, second, and booster doses remains open. Oral antivirals have been rolled out in the community as part of a range of treatment options.

Answer from Maggie Throup

Vaccines remain our best line of defence. The offer of first, second, and booster doses is always open. Oral antivirals have been rolled out in the community as part of a range of NHS treatment options to provide another line of defence.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Miriam Cates
NHS
Context

The MP is raising concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccinating healthy children aged five to 11, citing reports from other countries and a lack of long-term data.

Question

It was announced that vaccinations will be offered to healthy five to 11-year-olds. The JCVI calculates that 2 million children need to be vaccinated to prevent one ICU admission, so serious side effects exceeding one in 2 million would constitute harm. Given the reports of myocarditis and lack of long-term safety data, how confident is the Government that vaccinating healthy five to 11-year-olds will do more good than harm?

Answer from Maggie Throup

We accepted JCVI advice that a single dose of vaccine offers greater health benefits than potential risks. This is a non-urgent offer, and priority remains vaccinating the most vulnerable.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific concerns about myocarditis and long-term safety data were not directly addressed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)