Strathearn Herald

Second doses of Covid jabs to start in March

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NHS Tayside has said it will administer the bulk of its second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from March.

The health board, which also confirmed it has sufficient supplies of the vaccine, said it has already administer­ed a “small number” of second doses “for clinical reasons and to ensure full usage of vaccine supply”.

NHS Tayside began administer­ing the vaccine on December 8.

The first vaccinatio­ns were administer­ed to healthcare staff at Ninewells Hospital, with immunisers and those working in high-risk areas being among the first to receive their vaccine.

The Covid-19 vaccine requires two doses.

It was originally planned for everyone to then receive their second vaccine dose 21 to 28 days later but, on January 1, the Scottish Government said it would now concentrat­e on giving as many people as possible the first dose after advice from health bodies.

The updated advice said those who were due to receive their second jab up to Monday, January 4, would continue to get immunised.

But, after that, health boards were asked to reschedule second doses for 12 weeks after the first Covid-19 jab had been administer­ed..

As of January 18, 3698 people in Scotland had received a second dose, with the number increasing steadily on a daily basis.

A spokespers­on for NHS Tayside said: “NHS Tayside is following Scottish Government guidance to give second doses of the vaccine 12 weeks after the first dose.

“A small number of second doses have been administer­ed to people for clinical reasons and to ensure full usage of vaccine supply.

“Everyone who has received a first dose of the vaccine has an appointmen­t to receive their second dose 12 weeks later.”

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