1m more jabs: At-risk teens and carers to be next in line
MORE than one million adults of working age will start to receive vaccine appointments this week.
In another major milestone in the rollout, those aged 16-64 with underlying health conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, diabetes or learning disabilities will be invited to receive the first dose.
But the Scottish Government yesterday refused to commit to a new target to give all adults a first dose by the end of July – even though UK ministers say there is enough supply to do so.
It came as one of Nicola Sturgeon’s top advisers said supplies should be
‘This is one of the largest groups’
donated overseas rather than be given to healthy adults in the UK.
Figures show that 1,431,942 people in Scotland have already received their first dose, although only 19,299 were jabbed on Saturday due to short-term supply shortages. virtually everyone over the age of 75 has now received the first dose, along with 96 per cent of those aged 70-74 and 80 per cent of those aged 65-69.
Appointments will start going out to ‘priority group six’ – unpaid carers and those aged 16-64 with underlying conditions – this week.
The programme will then move on to the over-60s, then over-55s, before progressing to the over-50s in the final priority group.
Priority group six consists of those with conditions which mean they are already on the flu vaccine list.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said yesterday: ‘Boards will begin to send the invites as their supply levels allow, and once they have completed a good proportion of 65-69-year-olds.’
She added: ‘This is one of the largest groups of people on the priority list, so please be patient. It may take several weeks to get through the whole cohort.
‘The age range of people in this cohort can be as young as 16 and their underlying condition may not be obvious to the outside world.’
The number of vaccinations was reduced last week due to short-term supply issues with the Pfizer jab to help the firm ramp up global supplies.
Stocks are also being built up for second doses, and Miss Freeman said vaccination centres ‘may be less busy in the next couple of weeks’.
The UK Government has a target for everyone over 50 or with underlying health conditions to get the jab by April 15 – with all adults receiving it by the end of July. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday confirmed ‘we now think we have the supplies to be able to do that’.
The UK Government sources supplies for the UK and distributes them to the devolved administrations. It is understood that the number of jabs available in Scotland will rise to 100,000 a day next month.
However, the SNP Government has pledged only to vaccinate all priority groups by early May, with all other adults to get it ‘in the summer’.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We have not committed to a date for vaccinating all adults due to the uncertainty of supply, but our projected rates remain in line with those announced by the UK Government. If more supply is available earlier, we will ensure this is used to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.
‘Around 400,000 people are vaccinated each week and if greater supply becomes available, we will adapt to use all available vaccines.’
Scottish Tory health spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘With the UK Government committing to more ambitious targets, we must see SNP ministers be upfront about whether they will meet the challenge.’
Meanwhile, Professor Devi Sridhar, a member of the Scottish Government’s Covid19 advisory group, yesterday highlighted that 130 countries have no vaccine supplies at all – and said the UK has a ‘responsibility’ to help.
Speaking on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News, she said: ‘Is it right to be vaccinating people in their 20s and 30s here when you have health workers dying in Africa because they can’t get access to a vaccine?’
‘Uncertainty of supply’