Speed up booster jabs or risk more winter death
New warning as vulnerable patients wait for injections
SCOTLAND’S Covid vaccine booster programme must be ramped up immediately or elderly and vulnerable people could be put at greater risk over the winter, SNP ministers have been warned.
There are growing concerns over the health risk to some older people if they have to wait too long after their second dose before getting the booster vaccine.
A sluggish booster rollout programme could lead to an increase in virus cases, hospitalisations and deaths over the winter – or greater restrictions.
Boris Johnson yesterday issued a plea for more people to come forward for boosters south of the Border to help ‘fortify’ their defences.
But the Scottish Government has quietly announced a delay to the booster programme after over50s were told they will have to wait until mid-November to book appointments – more than a month later than planned.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: ‘The SNP need to urgently step up the pace in their booster rollout. Progress is stalling just as we need to be getting jags into people’s arms as quickly as possible. Ensuring vulnerable and elderly people have further protection with a booster jag is crucial as we head towards the winter period.’
A further 32 Covid deaths were confirmed yesterday, along with another 2,355 positive cases.
There were 917 people in hospital on Wednesday with recently confirmed Covid-19, a rise of 27 on the previous day, with 58 in intensive care, up seven.
By early yesterday, 4,096,196 Scots adults had received the first dose, 92.3 per cent of all adults – while 87.2 per cent, or 3,868,876, had received the second dose. But only 400,438 had received a booster.
Referring to a sharp rise in Covid cases – as the UK’s daily number breached 50,000 for the first time in three months – Mr Johnson said yesterday during a visit to a school in Northern Ireland that ‘the numbers are high’, adding: ‘We can see what’s happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs.’
Scottish Labour health and Covid recovery spokesman Jackie Baillie said: ‘We cannot afford to leave the job half done. The SNP must make sure health boards have what they need to make sure everyone can get their booster jab when they need it.’
Health chiefs are already asking members of the public to have patience as they look to carry out the ‘challenging’ delivery of Covid booster and flu vaccinations.
NHS Highland’s director of public health, Dr Tim Allison, has asked for people to bear with the health service as it delivers jabs ‘across a very large, remote and rural geography’.
He said: ‘This next phase, which will see us delivering more vaccinations than we ever have before, will be challenging. Not only do we have a larger number of people requiring vaccination, we also have a population that has gone back to work or school and will not find it as easy to attend clinics.’
Most residents in the Highland area who are eligible for a third Covid vaccine dose are still awaiting confirmation of an appointment. Care home residents and health and social care staff are being prioritised.
NHS Highland said those who could be asked to consider joining vaccination teams include ambulance staff, local authority employees, bank staff and colleagues who have come out of retirement.
Health boards have also asked people not to contact GP surgeries, saying it is ‘important for patients who are eligible for a booster to wait to be invited to clinics’. Meanwhile, ‘a refrigeration issue’ caused delays in people getting jabs at St Andrews Community Hospital.
NHS Fife later posted an update saying: ‘Please note that the Covid booster vaccine supply issue at St Andrews Community Hospital has now been resolved and appointments are continuing as normal.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We remain on track with Scotland’s booster programme, which has been prioritising the most vulnerable by either inviting them to come forward for a vaccination or by visiting in settings such as care homes.
‘We started this as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation provided their advice on boosters.’
‘Jags into arms as quickly as possible’ ‘Wait to be invited to clinics’