Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Concern over access to booster vaccine venues
An MSP is calling for the Covid booster vaccines to be made“easily accessible for people across the area”.
Mark Griffin is concerned residents in towns without vaccination centres and in outlying areas may struggle to travel to the designated locations, saying older people and those without cars will be particularly impacted.
That follows the announcement of seven centralised venues for the programme across Lanarkshire.
He has now written to health board officials asking for the boosters to be delivered through a “community-based model” when the next phase of the programme begins to be rolled out next month.
The Central Scotland MSP says the arrangements in North Lanarkshire means there is “no provision for the towns of Bellshill and Coatbridge, or outlying communities such as Kilsyth, Shotts and surrounding villages”.
The Labour MSP told the Advertiser: “This has the potential to replicate the problems encountered with the initial rollout of the vaccine – especially for the elderly and those without access to a car – when thousands of local people had to travel great distances to access the jab.
“Many experienced transport, accessibility and communication difficulties, and these challenges forced many to use public transport when they weren’t comfortable doing so and pay high costs to get taxis.
“It put a number off getting the vaccine at all, and it’s important that these problems are not replicated.
“The Covid-19 booster will be
essential to keeping on top of the virus and potential variants that may continue to arise; it’s vital it’s as easy as possible for people to receive the vaccine, and ensure there are no capacity challenges when distributing the flu jab.
“I have contacted the chief executive of NHS Lanarkshire to raise my concerns and have called on the health board to deliver a community-based model that ensures people can access both vaccines as simply as possible within their own communities.”
NHS Lanarkshire say the chosen venues – three in North Lanarkshire and four in South
– give the required balance of allowing sufficient numbers of vaccinations to take place and providing localised community venues, and that they are working to ensure public transport links are available.
Booster vaccines for Covid-19, plus flu immunisations, will be provided from Sir John Wilson town hall in Airdrie, Link community centre in Cumbernauld and the existing vaccination facility at Ravenscraig sports centre in Motherwell.
The venues in South Lanarkshire will be the banqueting hall at the council’s Hamilton headquarters, plus
Ballerup Hall in East Kilbride, Fernhill community centre in Rutherglen and Braidfute retail park in Lanark, with further satellite locations also to be established.
Vaccination lead, Dr Mark Russell, told us: “NHS Lanarkshire has been working closely with North and South Lanarkshire councils to identify suitable venues for the next phase of the programme.
“We had to balance the venues being returned to their normal use with a number of other criteria used to identify potential sites – including adequate size to deal with the anticipated amount
of people, central location, good transport links and car parking, ground floor to ensure accessibility and a one-way flow.
“Now the venues have been confirmed, we’ll be working with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to ensure the venues have adequate public transport links.
“There is a balance between vaccinating as many people as quickly as possible and providing local venues; we believe the current number of sites and locations gives us that balance.
“Further details on the next phase will be issued as and when they are available.”