Sturgeon offers apology to people turned away from booster jab clinics

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has apologised to people turned away from vaccine clinics after government advice encouraged them to attend for booster jabs.

Ms Sturgeon blamed a “glitch in the system” as the reason people were told they could not receive injections to help combat the new Omicron strain of Covid.

Meanwhile companies have been cancelling office Christmas parties in their droves due to fears over the Omicron variant amid warnings of a “catastrophic” blow to hospitality during the peak festive season.

The 10th case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus identified in Scotland has no direct link to the previous nine which were connected to a single event, the Scottish Government said yesterday.

The latest data from the government showed five people with Covid have died across the north and north-east in the last 24 hours, and 22 across Scotland.

NHS Grampian recorded three of those deaths, and NHS Highland reported two.

As for the vaccine rollout, 4,349,058 people have received their first dose and 3,953,170 have received their second dose.

This means just over 72% of Scots have been double jagged, and almost 80% have received a first dose.

Meanwhile, 1,755,694 have received a third dose or a booster shot.

In Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon was criticised for not taking on the latest UK-wide advice on boosters quickly enough.

The waiting period between a second inoculation and a booster jab has been reduced from six months to three, as part of efforts to limit the spread of the variant this winter.

The Covid vaccination status app is due to be updated on December 9 to allow Scots to prove they have had their booster dose, to meet the requirement of some European countries coming into effect on December 15.

At First Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Douglas Ross asked why the message had not been spread to vaccine clinics, who reportedly turned people away.

He said: “On Monday, the CMO told everyone eligible to, and I quote, ‘book an appointment and get vaccinated as soon as possible’.

“On Tuesday, the national clinical director told people on Twitter, if they turned up for a booster, they would get (one).

“Also on Tuesday, the first minister came to this chamber and told the public to book appointments for boosters based on the new threemonth timescale.

“We know the proper procedures had not been put in place and people ended up being turned away.”

He added: “At this critical moment, we need to continue the success of the vaccine programme to tackle this new variant.

“The SNP Scottish Government needs to show the same urgency to rolling out the booster vaccines as was the case in delivering the first and second doses.

“There is a backlog of close to two million people in Scotland waiting for their jag.”

Ms Sturgeon replied: “I am very sorry to anyone who was turned away.

“When advice changes there is a process for updating protocols and materials to make sure that everything is being done in line with clinical protocols.

“In the normal course of events that is a process that would take around a week.

“That has happened now already. We have taken steps to ensure that that information has been cascaded down to vaccination clinics across Scotland.

“Particularly when advice changes very quickly, there may be glitches in the system like we saw yesterday.”

She added: “We are rectifying that and the advice remains if you are eligible for your vaccination within the new guidance, go on and book your appointment.

“The guidance has been updated and people will be vaccinated.”

REPLY: Nicola Sturgeon during First Minister’s Questions, with Health Secretary Humza Yousaf in the background.