The report was also critical of the government attempts to force health and care workers to have the vaccine.

The government mandated that care home workers would have to be jabbed to work in June 2021 – and then said they were planning to extend it to all health and care workers.

But they scrapped it and revoked the care home mandate amid mounting evidence the vaccine had a limited effect on stopping infections – instead its major benefit was stopping people getting seriously ill.

The inquiry said this may have contributed to alienation and increased hesitancy.

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said such an approach was “never the right way” to address vaccine concerns.

“Making them compulsory didn’t command the support of the profession and likely contributed to vaccine hesitancy in some groups.

“Instead, ministers should have run targeted campaigns to reassure staff the vaccine was safe, amid the deluge of anti-vax nonsense.”

A government spokeswoman said the vaccine programme was “unprecedented” and reflected the strength of the UK’s world-leading life sciences sector, the universal public health system and the extraordinary dedication of health and care staff.

“We are grateful to all those involved in this national effort – the scientists, researchers, regulators, NHS and social care staff and volunteers who supported the roll-out of vaccines and treatments at pace.”

She said the government would consider the report in detail and it was committed to “learning vital lessons”.