Residents get letters outlining vaccine plan
Scottish health chiefs have started writing to residents of Tayside setting out how they intend to administer COVID-19 vaccines to its 416,000 or so inhabitants over the coming weeks and months.
Letters signed by the likes of national clinical director Jason Leitch have started arriving through people’s front doors letting them know which groups will receive invitations to inoculations first.
The letter assures readers the roll-out of the vaccination programme means there is finally “light at the end of the tunnel”. But it adds the programme will by no means be “a quick fix” to the pandemic and reminds people to stick to the usual social distancing rules in the meantime.
So far the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has authorised the use of three types of vaccine in the UK.
A shot produced by Pfizer/BioNTech was approved in early December last year, another made by AstraZeneca was cleared a fortnight ago and a third produced by Moderna was approved last Friday.
The NHS Scotland letter reads: “NHS staff will be working as quickly as they can to roll this vaccine out.
“The pace that they can deliver this entirely depends on how many vaccines are approved by healthcare regulators, and on how quickly the vaccines can be supplied by their manufacturers.
“This means we have to prioritise, starting with those whose lives are most at risk from the virus. To achieve this, we are guided by the expert independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI), to make sure those most at risk are vaccinated first.
“This means that to begin with we have been vaccinating those in care homes for older adults, both residents and staff, patient-facing health and social care workers and those over the age of 80.
“Once we have completed vaccinating these groups, our NHS will roll out the vaccine to other priority groups. This will include those at additional clinical risk from the virus, unpaid carers and those over 50. We will work through these groups in order of age, with older people vaccinated first.
“We know you appreciate that this will take time to deliver. You do not have to do anything - we will contact you to invite you to come forward to be vaccinated.”
Meanwhile, NHS Tayside has said it will be following new guidance issued by the JCVI to administer as many initial jabs to as many people as possible despite the change meaning some people who have already received the Pfizer/BioNTech jab and are waiting on their second will have to wait longer for their follow-up.
A spokesperson said: “The first dose gives a very high level of protection to those who have already received it, and the second dose at 12 weeks will prolong that protection.
This amendment to the dosing schedule will mean that we are able to protect a greater number of people more quickly than would otherwise be the case. This will prevent even more deaths and hospital admissions.
“We will work to ensure that everyone who receives the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for their first dose will receive a second dose of the same vaccine at 12 weeks.”