Influenza: Vaccination

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 23 January 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Barbara Keeley Barbara Keeley Shadow Minister (Mental Health and Social Care)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the quadrivalent flu vaccine; and what guidance NHS England has issued to GPs on prescribing that vaccine given its comparatively higher cost than the trivalent vaccine.

Photo of Steve Brine Steve Brine The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

The seasonal flu immunization programme is part of the National Health Service public health functions agreement. more commonly referred to as the Section 7A agreement discussed and agreed annually between the Department and NHS England.

General Practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies are responsible for ordering and purchasing flu vaccines for the adult seasonal flu programme (eligible individuals aged 18 years and over) directly from manufacturers. The 2017/18 annual flu letter, published by the Department, Public Health England (PHE), and NHS England in March 2017 has information on vaccine supply and ordering and includes a table of vaccines that would be available for the 2017/18 flu immunisation programme. This letter is sent to all GP practices. In addition, clinical advice on seasonal flu vaccines is published in Immunisation against infectious disease (‘The Green Book’ ) by PHE. This was updated in October 2017.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes1 person thinks so

No1 person thinks not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.