Release of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry Module 4 Report on Vaccines and Therapeutics
The UK COVID-19 Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, has now published the Module 4 report on vaccines and therapeutics. This module considers and makes recommendations on a range of issues relating to the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Key aspects to note are that the issues related to the treatment of Covid-19 through both existing and new medications were examined in parallel and thematic issues relating to unequal vaccine uptake was examined during hearings, to include the identification of groups which were the subject of unequal uptake, the potential causes of such unequal uptake and the Government response.
This Module 4 report also addresses issues of recent public concern relating to vaccine safety and the current system for financial redress under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme. Overall, the focus will be on the lessons learned and recommendations to aid preparedness for the next pandemic.
Aamer Anwar & Co. are the legal representatives of the Scottish Covid Bereaved, Public Inquires. April Meechan (Head of Civil Actions and Public Inquiries) Dr Claire Mitchell KC (Senior Counsel) were present along with client Melanie Newdick, for the release of this office report. Melanie Newdick (of the Scottish Covid Bereaved) had given evidence at the Module 4 hearings, which took place in London from 14th January to the 31st of January 2025.
Bereaved Families Were at the Heart of This Module
The Module 4 report identified serious failings that affected some of the most vulnerable people in our society, affecting many bereaved families across the UK, like those in the Scottish Covid Bereaved.
The statements made by the bereaved families have played a crucial role in shaping the recommendations that followed. One member of the Scottish Covid Bereaved, speaking about family members, told the Inquiry:
“The researchers certainly had ample potential for research given the numbers of people in hospital. Sadly, neither the research re treatment nor the vaccination were of use to my mum. My husband was 6 weeks away from having his first vaccination when he died.”
We believe it’s important to highlight the fact that this is by no means an isolated account. It reflects a pattern that bereaved families across Scotland have described throughout the Inquiry process: numerous lives that could have been saved had timing, prioritisation, and access worked differently.
Disparities in Vaccine Uptake
The report confirmed vaccine uptake was significantly lower among people living in more deprived areas and within certain ethnic minority communities. The Inquiry went further, concluding that these gaps in uptake were “predictable” and that governments should have done more, both before and during the pandemic, to reach these communities and build trust in the vaccination programme.
The report acknowledged that practical barriers, including lack of GP registration, concerns about overseas healthcare charges for migrants, language barriers and limited digital literacy, made it harder for some groups to access the vaccine even when they wanted it.
The Inquiry’s recommendation that all four UK governments should maintain networks with local communities to produce targeted vaccination strategies is welcome, but it must be accompanied by genuine accountability for the failures that occurred during this pandemic.
The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme Requires Urgent Reform
For families who lost loved ones or witnessed life-changing injuries as a result of vaccination, the report’s findings on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme are of direct and immediate relevance.
The Inquiry found that the scheme, which was originally introduced in 1979 and was designed for childhood vaccinations. The maximum payment of £120,000 has not been increased since 2007. By January 2025, 17,519 applications had been made in respect of COVID-19 vaccines, but only 9,545 applicants had received a decision. Almost 8,000 people were still waiting, with some having waited more than two years.
The Inquiry has recommended that the scheme be reformed “as soon as possible.” This reform should include raising the £120,000 cap to at least match inflation since 2007, which would take it above £200,000, and linking future payments to annual inflation so the amount does not erode over time. The report also calls for a graduated payment structure where the amount reflects the severity of injury, rather than a single fixed sum, along with transitional measures to ensure that people who have already applied are not disadvantaged by the change.
The Five Key Recommendations
- Establish a pharmaceutical expert advisory panel to oversee the UK’s preparedness to develop, procure, and manufacture vaccines and therapeutics for future pandemics
- Formalise work with communities about vaccine equity strategies, including maintaining local community networks and publishing annual progress reports
- Improve monitoring and evaluation of vaccine uptake and delivery across the four nations, with standardised measures and minimum acceptable uptake thresholds
- Facilitate regulatory bodies’ access to linked healthcare records for post-authorisation safety monitoring, with strong safeguards for patient confidentiality
- Reform the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme as soon as possible, with increased payments, graduated thresholds, and annual inflation adjustments
Our Continued Commitment
Module 4 has shed further light on the decisions that were made during the pandemic and the consequences those decisions had for the most vulnerable people in our society. While the vaccination programme saved many lives, it also left people behind, and the systems that were supposed to support the injured and bereaved have been found to be inadequate.
At Aamer Anwar & Co., our commitment includes continuing to press for the implementation of these recommendations and for the broader reforms that bereaved families across Scotland and the UK are calling for.
