Thérèse Coffey has been urged to “reassure the public” about the monkeypox outbreak after it emerged that she rejected advice to buy extra vaccine doses due to value-for-money concerns.
The newly appointed Health Secretary was also asked to clarify whether or not she received any advice suggesting she “ignore” the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), according to a letter seen by GAY TIMES.
Sent on 4 October by Wes Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary and Labour MP for Ilford North, it comes three days after news broke that Coffey opted not to order a recommended 70,000 extra doses of the vaccine that protects against monkeypox.
The decision was reported to have left UKHSA officials “in shock”, the Financial Times reported. “Reports suggest you rejected the scientific advice from UKHSA due to concerns over value for money,” part of the letter reads. “This should be a factor in all government decision-making and its lack of consideration in recent years has led to billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being wasted, for example on the purchase of unusable PPE which is now being burned.