‘Flu figures misleading

Sir, Alastair Redman, Courier Letters, December 7, alleges that the Scottish Government has failed to provide sufficient ’flu vaccine for everyone who needs it this winter. What irony that this should appear on the same day that a national newspaper leaked documents revealing that UK government ministers are planning to ration drugs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. His letter also came in the week when Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw was reprimanded for publishing false information on ’flu vaccination in a Tory party press release (presumably the one Mr Redman used as his source). Mr Redman claimed that only 39 per cent of over-65s were vaccinated in Scotland as against 51 per cent in England. The Scottish figure, however, was for the week ending October 28, while the figure given for England was for the week ending November 11. In the week ending October 28, the English figure was in fact 33 per cent, six per cent below that for Scotland. By November 25, the figures were 62 per cent for England and 63 per cent for Scotland. Mr Redman’s petty attempt at party political point-scoring has blown up in his face. But his misinformation may have made vulnerable people give up on being vaccinated this year because he says insufficient vaccine is available. That is simply not the case. He needs to apologise. William Crossan, Campbeltown.