BREAKING NEWS: Covid vaccine ‘an extraordinary feat’ but trust must be rebuilt, inquiry finds
The development and roll out of the Covid vaccine was ‘an extraordinary feat’ saving an estimated 450,000 lives in England alone but work must be done to rebuild public trust, according to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Baroness Hallett (c) Piranha Photography
Module 4 of the inquiry’s 10 investigations says the vaccine and therapeutic programmes were ‘two of the success stories of the pandemic’ but notes low take-up among deprived communities.
Baroness Hallett, chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, said: ‘The vaccination programme was an extraordinary feat. Effective vaccines were developed, produced and delivered to the majority of the population in record time.
‘However, while the majority of people took up the offer of vaccination, there was lower uptake within communities in areas of higher deprivation and in some ethnic minority communities. Governments and health services must work with communities to rebuild trust and promote a better understanding of, and confidence in, vaccines.’
In 2021, approximately 132m Covid vaccinations were given across the four nations, making it the largest vaccination programme in UK history. By June 2022, about 87% of the UK population aged over 12 years had been vaccinated with two doses.
However, the report also finds the current Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is not sufficiently supportive of those who suffered serious harm as a result of vaccination and requires urgent reform.
A further six reports will follow. Summer 2026 will see the publication of the Module 5 report, examining ‘Procurement’. Reports will be published in the autumn for Module 6, investigating the ‘Care Sector’ and Module 7, investigating ‘Test, Trace and Isolate’.
The remaining three reports will be published in the first half of 2027.
A government spokesperson said: ‘Today’s report recognises that the UK authorised and deployed effective vaccines and treatments at unprecedented speed. These achievements reflect the strength of our world-leading life sciences sector, the universal public health system in each of the four nations which allowed whole-population delivery of vaccines, and the extraordinary dedication of health and care staff. They also speak to the collective resolve of the public in coming forward to be vaccinated.
‘We are grateful to all those involved in this national effort – the scientists, researchers, regulators, NHS and social care staff and volunteers who supported the rollout of vaccines and treatments at pace.
‘The Government thanks Baroness Hallett and her team for their thorough work on these serious issues. We will consider its findings and recommendations in detail and respond in due course and remain committed to learning vital lessons from the Covid-19 Inquiry and to strengthen our preparedness for the future.’
