Pandemic Preparedness Strategy: building our capabilities
How the UK intends to rebuild readiness for future pandemics through a whole-of-government approach that prioritises the needs of the most vulnerable.
Documents
Details
This publication sets out the commitment of all 4 nations of the UK to:
- rebuild readiness and prepare underlying capabilities for future pandemics
- take rapid co-ordinated action to protect communities equitably
- minimise disruption in people’s lives
In support of this joined-up approach, the strategy includes principles for pandemic preparedness endorsed by all 4 nations of the UK. All 4 governments in the UK will:
- develop and implement their approaches to improve preparedness
- work together to develop cross-UK capabilities
The strategy builds on:
- lessons identified from the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry
- early findings from the national pandemic exercise (‘Exercise Pegasus’), which aimed to test our ability to respond to a pandemic and involved all regions and nations of the UK and thousands of participants.
A full report of all findings from Exercise Pegasus is due to be published in winter 2026.
The publication fulfils a commitment in the government response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry module 1 report and replaces the outdated 2011 UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy.
Where this strategy applies
The ‘UK government approach to implementing the strategy’ includes actions to implement improvements to pandemic preparedness in England by 2030, while the ‘Introduction and principles’ apply to the whole of the UK. This is also signposted in the PDF version.