AQW 35218/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 11/11/2025
Answered On Date: 26/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) any training implemented across the health and social care workforce to ensure all clinicians are aware of known and less well-recognised post-vaccination syndromes; and (ii) how they are being advised to support patients to report to the yellow card adverse reporting system.

Answer:

The UKHSA publication ‘Immunisation Against Infectious Disease’, also known as ‘The Green Book’, provides the latest vaccine related information for all health professionals and immunisation practitioners. The Green Book details side effects and adverse effects of individual vaccines as well as a section on how to report any reactions, see attached link for further information: Green Book: Chapter 9 Surveillance and monitoring

Specific e-Learning resources are routinely used for training all vaccinators for both the influenza and COVID-19 vaccination programmes and include mandatory vaccine-specific modules which include content on recognising adverse reactions to vaccinations and advice on reporting these incidents through the Yellow Card Scheme. Modules include links to Summary of Products Characteristics which also instruct that any adverse reactions should be reported via the Yellow Card Scheme.

Vaccinators are also required to complete Patient Group Direction and anaphylaxis training as per the Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) guidance: Anaphylaxis guidance for vaccination settings | Resuscitation Council UK, and advised to complete the COVID-19 vaccinator Competency Assessment Tool: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccinator-competency-assessment-tool. Both resources reference the Yellow Card Scheme and detail how to access.

The Yellow Card Centre for Northern Ireland was launched in September 2023, and it has focused on promoting the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme through virtual training sessions, alongside a range of other promotional events. Further information on awareness sessions and promotional events is available on the Yellow Card Centre Northern Ireland website at: https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/services/yellow-card-centre-northern-ireland/