Grandson speaks out as granny slips through vaccine rollout cracks

Aworried grandson has spoken out after his vulnerable 86-year-old granny was left in the dark waiting for her coronavirus vaccine.

Barry Mann, 42, has spent most of this year repeatedly chasing up news on an appointment for his housebound grandmother Elizabeth Munro.

The vast majority of Tayside residents around her age were offered dates almost two months ago.

Less than an hour after The Courier approached NHS Tayside about the delay this week, Ms Munro received a phone call from Invergowrie GP Practice and the health board’s vaccination team.

She was then offered an at-home vaccination, which was carried out yesterday.

Although relieved, Mr

Mann says there has been little in the way of an explanation and worries others are in the same position.

Mr Mann, who lives in St Mary’s, Dundee and works in water hygiene, said: “I’m happy she has finally received it but there may be other elderly and vulnerable people who have slipped through the cracks.

“They have done a great job getting everybody vaccinated but I really think my granny should have received hers earlier.

“It makes me wonder if this has happened to others. I’ve been trying to get it sorted for weeks.

“I need to go in regularly and make sure she’s OK and get her shopping.

“The problem is I’m a key worker so I’ve been outand-about working throughout the pandemic.

The sooner she receives her vaccine doses, the safer she is. The delay has been so frustrating.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published advice for all UK nations on the vaccine rollout order of priority.

Those in Ms Munro’s age bracket (80 and over) should be second only to care home residents and their carers.

People in this age range began receiving first doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab at the turn of the year.

The JCVI states increasing age is the “single greatest risk” of mortality from Covid-19.

More than 18 million people have now had a first vaccine dose in the UK – equivalent to one in three adults.

Everyone in the top four priority groups should have been offered a jab before now. Mr Mann added: “I feel she’s been let down by the system.

“There are people now getting appointments who are not as high-risk and almost half her age.

“Up until this week, I still had no idea when someone would step in and help her.

“She suffered a stroke not too long ago and she’s not been keeping well because of how isolated she is.

“This situation has just added to the stress.”

A spokesman for Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We can confirm that the patient has received their vaccination.

“Unfortunately, some appointments carried out by the community housebound vaccination service were cancelled due to this month’s adverse weather.”

WELCOME SHOT IN THE ARM: Grandmother Elizabeth Munro, from Invergowrie, received her delayed Covid-19 vaccine after grandson Barry contacted The Courier for help after he felt she had been forgotten by the Tayside vaccination team.