Open a Public Inquiry into Covid-19 Vaccine Safety
The Parliament petitions site records 107,124 signatures for this petition, which closed on 6 June 2022. The Government responded on 5 January 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 24 October 2022.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Open a Public Inquiry into Covid-19 Vaccine Safety
There has been a significant increase in heart attacks and related health issues since the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines began in 2021. This needs immediate and full scientific investigation to establish if there is any possible link with the Covid-19 vaccination rollout.
It is the duty of the Government to ensure that the prescribed medical interventions of its response to Coronavirus are safe. We believe that the recent and increasing volume of data relating to cardiovascular problems since the Covid-19 vaccine rollout began is of enough concern to warrant a full Public Inquiry.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 5 January 2022; the petitions site lists the Department of Health and Social Care as responsible. Its summary:
The Government commissioned a public inquiry into the pandemic and has no plans for a vaccine safety inquiry. Our surveillance strategy for COVID-19 vaccines provides continuous safety monitoring.
The opening 362 words of the 721-word response:
The Government has commissioned a public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic and has no plans for a separate inquiry on vaccine safety. The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is monitored by the Medicines Healthcare and Regulatory products Agency (MHRA).
The MHRA has authorised COVID-19 vaccine supply following a rigorous review of their safety, quality and efficacy. The clinical trials of the vaccines have shown them to be effective and acceptably safe; however, as part of its statutory functions, the MHRA continually monitors the use of the vaccines to ensure their benefits continue to outweigh any risks. This is a requirement for all authorised medicines and vaccines in the UK. This monitoring strategy is continuous, proactive and based on a wide range of information sources, with a dedicated team of scientists reviewing information daily to look for safety issues or unexpected events.
The MHRA operates the Yellow Card scheme to collect and monitor information on suspected safety concerns or incidents involving vaccines, medicines, medical devices, and e-cigarettes. The scheme relies on voluntary reporting of suspected adverse incidents by healthcare professionals and members of the public. The scheme is designed to provide an early warning that the safety of a product may require further investigation.
Up to and including 15 December 2021, the MHRA received and analysed: 145,446 Adverse Event reports (ADRs) from people who have received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine; 240,065 UK reports of suspected ADRs to the AstraZeneca vaccine; 24,721 UK reports of suspected ADRs to the Moderna vaccine. For context, up to same date, approximately 46.4 million Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccines, 50 million AstraZeneca vaccines and 2.8 million Moderna doses had been administered as first and second doses.
The overwhelming majority of these reports relate to injection-site reactions (sore arm for example) and generalised symptoms such as ‘flu-like’ illness, headache, chills, fatigue (tiredness), nausea (feeling sick), fever, dizziness, weakness, aching muscles, and rapid heartbeat. Generally, these happen shortly after the vaccination and are not associated with more serious or lasting illness. These types of reactions reflect the normal immune response triggered by the body to the vaccines. They are typically seen with most types of vaccine and tend to resolve within a day or two.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 382, came from Wealden.
105,470 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,654 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Wealden | 382 |
| Mid Sussex | 327 |
| Wells | 320 |
| Stroud | 316 |
| Totnes | 313 |
| Somerton and Frome | 297 |
| Brighton, Pavilion | 291 |
| Hove | 286 |
| Ealing Central and Acton | 283 |
| Bexhill and Battle | 282 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 16,289 |
| London | 12,792 |
| North West | 12,435 |
| South West | 10,539 |
| East of England | 10,085 |
| West Midlands | 8,012 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 7,816 |
| Scotland | 6,831 |
| East Midlands | 6,777 |
| Wales | 4,467 |
| North East | 4,053 |
| Northern Ireland | 3,056 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 24 October 2022. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/602171.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
246988f6a282466c… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.