Early issues cannot derail vaccinations

When NHS Fife made mistakes around the scheduling of flu vaccinations last year, promises were made that the Covid-19 injections would not descend into similar chaos.

In September, a mailshot urging people to get a flu jab led to booking lines being swamped with callers.

An apology was issued, along with a pledge lessons would be learned.

The mistake was rectified but it led to pressure on the health board to ensure its latest vaccination programme started perfectly.

It was a test which was failed as hundreds of people in their 70s were left standing outside, awaiting their chance to get the vital jab at their local clinic.

Long lines were also seen outside Dundee’s Caird Hall.

The winter conditions added injury to significant insult for some.

No one is suggesting the frontline staff did not do all they could to treat people.

However, this cannot be allowed to happen again.

Hopefully, these are just teething problems and the mass vaccinations can continue apace, with lessons learned from yesterday’s chaotic scenes.

We are so close to bringing some normalcy back after nearly a year of living with this dreadful virus.

This vaccination programme is too important for people to lose faith in it.

Those in authority must ensure they do not do so.

A little time ago, we printed a photograph of a dog in Arbroath wearing an HMS Condor

hat, and we compared this with the famous Montrose sea dog Bamse, a St Bernard, who was pictured wearing a naval hat with Norske Marine on it.

Now the circle is completed by this picture of a St Bernard in Arbroath, wearing a TS Arbroath Sea Cadet hat. The picture might be getting on for 20 years old.

A beach fisherman. See story above.