Exercise PEGASUS, the ‘Tier 1’ pandemic preparedness exercise led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), will conclude live participation on 5 November 2025.
Exercise PEGASUS has been the largest simulation of a pandemic in UK history, involving every government department, the devolved governments, representation from arms-length bodies, local resilience fora, and the engagement of businesses, academics, and external stakeholders.
Across three ‘core’ exercise days, held on 18 September, 9 October and 30 October, participants were challenged to respond across the key phases of a pandemic - emergence, containment and mitigation.
Exercise PEGASUS was based on a novel enterovirus originating from a fictional island. Enteroviruses are a group of viruses that usually cause mild illnesses but can lead to serious conditions such as meningitis or acute flaccid paralysis. Whilst the exercise used a single disease to drive the scenario, learning will be applicable across a range of diseases and modes of transmission. The government continues to plan and prepare for a range of pandemic and emerging infectious disease scenarios.
Although live participation in Exercise PEGASUS has now concluded, critical work continues. A fourth phase (recovery) is planned to be exercised in 2026. Findings will be published as part of the Government’s commitment to transparency.