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Written question asked by Jack Brereton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 November 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 November 2023. It was answered by Maria Caulfield (Conservative) on Thursday, 9 November 2023 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Vaccination: Manufacturing Industries

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) UK’s vaccine vial production capability, (b) reliance of the UK on the import of medical grade vials and (c) security of UK supply chains in the event of a future pandemic.

Answer

The Department for Business and Trade has not conducted assessments on these specific goods. The Government has established strategic partnerships with industry to maintain security of vaccine supply in the event of a pandemic. This includes our partnership with Moderna which is building an innovation and technology centre with capacity from 2025 to produce up to 250 million doses of mRNA vaccines annually onshore in the United Kingdom.

The UK Health Security Agency has also agreed an advanced purchase agreement with Seqirus UK Limited to access 100 million vaccines if a future influenza pandemic is declared. The manufacturing process will be based entirely in the UK, giving better security of access if global demand ever outweighs supply. As part of these contracts, the Government regularly assesses risks that may impact the performance of the contract.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
401
Session
2023-24
Subjects
Manufacturing industries Vaccination
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk