Liberal Democrat MP for St Albans, Daisy Cooper, gave a speech in Westminster Hall about the procurement of the anti-covid drug Evusheld.
Previously, the government have said that “the risks of proceeding to patient access for the drug are considered to outweigh the risks of not providing this treatment in the current pandemic context”. But Daisy Cooper urges the government to revaluate this decision, citing medical evidence that the drug is safe to use.
She alludes to a potential trial that was suggested by the Department of Health, whereby vulnerable patients would undergo an antibody test, and those who did not respond well enough would be enrolled in a trial for the drug. Some patients would be given a placebo and others the real thing, without thir knowledge of which.
Cooper said that it was “appalling” and like “taking lambs to the slaughter”.
Evusheld is a “pre-exposure prophylaxis” treatment, meaning it is taken to prevent COVID-19 before the risk of acquiring infection. It has been administered in many countries across the globe, but there has been some debate around its safety.
She says that the government “has got this badly wrong” leaving vulnerable “to rot”, as those who have health conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID are about to face another winter of shielding.
Some of those who are considered medically vulnerable are either unable to take the vaccine due to their health conditions, or do not reap the normal benefits of it owing to other medication they have to take. This means that they are completely unprotected against COVID and many have no choice but to shield in order to protect themselves from the risks of the virus.
Cooper says that this outweighs any previous uncertainty of safety, and assures Westminster Hall that the MHRA have deemed it perfectly safe.
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