The Covid-19 Inquiry is set to release its fourth report on Thursday, which will examine the development and roll-out of vaccines during the crisis.
It is expected to highlight the unequal uptake of the vaccine and the government’s response.
Inquiry chair Heather Hallett will also address the concerns of the groups representing those who died or suffered harm related to vaccines, which are calling for improvements to the vaccine damage payment scheme.
Campaigners have called on the government ahead of the report’s release, urging it to be better prepared for another pandemic and improve its vaccine readiness.
A YouGov poll revealed that 69 per cent of NHS workers believe the health service is poorly prepared for another pandemic.
Nicola Brook, a solicitor from Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents more than 7,000 families from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said: “Despite living through the horrors of the pandemic, we find ourselves in the unbelievable situation of being less equipped as a nation to make vaccines today than we were at the start of the pandemic.”
More than 184 million Covid vaccinations have been administered in England, according to the NHS.
A damning report from the inquiry in November found that Boris Johnson’s government and his failure to take Covid seriously led to 23,000 deaths.
‘We need leaders to lead’: Readers have their say on the UK’s delayed Covid pandemic response
The Independent community largely agreed with the Covid inquiry findings that Boris Johnson’s government was chaotic and poorly prepared, though many also stressed the broader context of conflicting scientific advice, years of underfunding, and systemic failings that compounded the crisis:
Harriette Boucher16 April 2026 10:36
In pictures: Britons receiving Covid jabs amid global pandemic
Harriette Boucher16 April 2026 10:28
How was the Covid-19 vaccine rolled out in the UK?
In early 2020, scientists across the world were desperately searching for a new drug or treatment for Covid as the virus continued to spread.
The government deployed a Vaccine Task Force in the UK to find the most promising vaccines and pre-order them for speedy deployment once approved by regulators.
In November that year, Pfizer/BioNTech announced that its Covid-19 vaccine was both safe and effective, with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine also announced to be effective just days later.
Grandmother Margaret Keenan, then 90, became the first person in the world to be given a Covid-19 jab outside of a clinical trial when she received the Pfizer vaccine in Coventry.
The NHS began rapidly administering vaccines, prioritising the most vulnerable in society.
Thousands of vaccination sites were set up across the UK including in football stadiums, shopping malls and cathedrals. Clinics operated 24 hours a day to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
More than 184 million Covid vaccinations have been administered in England, according to the NHS.
Harriette Boucher16 April 2026 10:18
Covid inquiry to release fourth report at midday
The UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry is releasing its fourth report at midday, which will examine vaccines and drugs during the crisis.
It will make a series of recommendations about the development of Covid vaccines and its rollout. It will also examine the treatment of Covid through existing and new medications.
The report is expected to discuss the unequal uptake of the vaccine and the government’s response.
Harriette Boucher16 April 2026 09:48
