“We see a glimmer of light in the distance”: Labour probes Hancock on vaccine

Labour’s health spokesperson Jonathan Ashworth has probed government minister Matt Hancock on the strategy and level of planning that is being adopted after a promising Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19 emerged.

Early results have suggested that the vaccine for the novel coronavirus, of which the UK government has secured 40 million doses, is 90% effective. It has not yet been approved as safe by the regulator, however.

Hancock has said that the length of the vaccine effect and its effectiveness at reducing transmission of the virus is still unknown, but the NHS would be ready to start giving out the vaccine from December 1st if approved.

Ashworth used a response to Hancock’s statement in the House of Commons this afternoon to ask the Health Secretary for publication of a strategy and details of how much will be invested in the vaccination programme.

He also asked Hancock for “the latest clinical thinking around vaccination of children” and whether the disproportionate impact of Covid on minority ethnic communities would be taken into account when drawing up the priority list.

The Health Secretary said the vaccine would not be used for children, and has not been tested on children. He also told MPs that age and working in health and social care “far outweigh” other Covid risk factors.

Asked by Labour MP Mary Foy about the potential for lower take up among those living in deprived communities, Hancock said he shared the concerns but reiterated that the “starting point must be clinical need”.

He added in response to Labour MP Apsana Begum that the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) had already looked at other risk factors, and he concluded: “I respect their independence and their analysis.”

Hancock acknowledged that the government does not know what proportion of the population the vaccine would need to reach in order to stop the epidemic, and will not know until after it has been rolled out.

He added that Pfizer would be responsible for the manufacture of the vaccine and the NHS would lead on its distribution, and noted that the “significant” cold chain requirements are expected to “add to the logistical complications”.

The government’s health spokesperson assured members in the chamber, however, that “we have known about the cold chain requirements for many months now, so it has been part of our planning for some time”.

Asked by Labour’s Hilary Benn about the Covid testing of students that will allow them to return home for Christmas, Hancock said universities would lead on this initiative but draw on the expertise of local public health teams.

Cat Smith, Labour’s frontbench lead on youth affairs, added to Benn’s question by raising the possibility of students being tested again in January to enable their return to university. Hancock simply replied: “One step at a time.”

Both Yvette Cooper and Ben Bradshaw raised concerns about Nightingale hospitals not being used due to a lack of NHS staff. Hancock said the extra hospitals were “important” but it is better for patients to be treated in normal hospitals.

Below is the full text of Jonathan Ashworth’s response to Matt Hancock in the Commons.

Mr Speaker, may I take this opportunity to I congratulate President Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris. We look forward to close international cooperation to defeat this virus.

Can I start by welcoming the announcement of routine testing for frontline NHS staff? This is an important development, not just for protecting staff, but for infection control in health care settings. We have been pressing him for months on this, as has the chair of the select committee.

On testing more broadly, he has announced plans for the mass distribution of lateral flow tests. I understand he is asking local Directors of Public Health to develop local strategies. But does he agree that families with a loved one in a care home should be given priority access to these tests to see and hold the hand of a loved one in a care home?

Testing is only one part of the jigsaw. To avoid this lockdown becoming a let down, we need to put public health teams in charge of contact tracing from day one. Can he update the House on how he is fixing contact tracing?

Dido Harding at the select committee has just admitted that people are not isolating “because they find it very difficult. The need to keep earning and feed your family is fundamental.” Will he now accept that a better package of financial support is now needed to ensure isolation is adhered to?

Now the vaccine. This is indeed a moment of great hope in a bleak, dismal year that has shattered so many families. We are all optimistic, though cautious. We need to see the full results, the demographic details of the trials and understand the implications for severe cases.

There will be clinical judgements around the priority list, which we all understand. Could he outline the latest clinical thinking around vaccination of children? And will the disproportionate impact of the virus on minority ethnic communities be taken into account when drawing up the final priority list?

What is the government’s current working assumption of what proportion of the population needs to be vaccinated to establish herd immunity and bring R below one? Over what time frame does he envisage that happening? And how many doses does he think we will need?

As we vaccinate the most vulnerable, there will be less people at risk, deaths and infections will come down. But the virus is now endemic. So is it the government’s current working assumption that social distancing and mask wearing will need to continue until that herd immunity is reached?

Fundamentally, for this to work, we need a plan for the manufacture and distribution of that vaccine. Can I gently suggest to the Secretary of State that the roll out of test and trace and the early procurement of PPE wasn’t as smooth as it might otherwise have been?

None of us want to see booking systems overloaded and our constituents told to travel hundreds of miles for a jab, like we saw earlier this year with testing. So, what is the plan? Will he publish a strategy? Can he tell us how much will be invested in the Covid vaccination programme?

Is the government working with international partners to ensure there are enough raw materials, enzymes and bioreactors to guarantee the mass manufacturing needed? And on distribution: the Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at -70 °C. Cold chain transport and storage is needed.

A year ago, he used to boast that he was the country’s biggest purchaser of fridges. Is he procuring the appropriate storage equipment now? Will liquid nitrogen and freezers be provided to health centres, doctors’ practices and care homes? Will cold chain distribution be in place in all parts of the country?

Last year, the World Health Organisation described vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to global health. Can I again reiterate my offer to work with him on a cross party basis to build on public confidence in the vaccine, promote take up and dispel anti vax myths?

Indeed, I rather suspect all members working across the House to promote take up would probably prove more cost effective than paying £670,000 of taxpayers’ money to fancy PR consultants.

Mr Speaker, this is indeed an important moment. We see a glimmer of light in the distance of this long dark tunnel. Our constituents are hopeful, so we look forward to rapid progress in the distribution of this vaccine, so we can all get back to normal.