Children and young people aged 12 -15 years old will be offered a dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination from Monday 20 September after Scottish Ministers accepted advice from the four UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs).
As a result, a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be offered to all children and young people aged 12-15 who are not already covered by existing advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in a move to reduce the disruption caused to education by COVID-19.
This group will be offered their injections in drop-in clinics and community settings followed by each young person receiving a letter inviting them to attend a community clinic.
Meanwhile, people who received their vaccination during phase one of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme in Scotland will start to receive booster injections from 20 September.
This follows advice from the JCVI which has advised that the booster dose can be given alongside the flu jab and should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course.
Frontline health and social care workers will be able to book their appointment online at NHS Inform from 20 September and from that date, residents in care homes for older people will be offered both flu and COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Adults aged 70 years and over and adults aged 16 years and over who are on the highest risk list (previously known as the shielding list) will be contacted soon, either by letter or by their GP.
Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge & Chryston said;
“Since schools returned there has been disruption due to track and trace and we are obviously very keen that we do all we can to reduce this so it is promising that the recommendation has been accepted to allow for vaccination in older children.
“I would echo the Health Secretary’s comments that informed consent must be at the heart of decision making. I understand that there will be clear communication with this age group and their parents so they understand the potential benefits, potential side effects and the balance between them.
“I’m pleased that a new leaflet from Public Health Scotland will be circulated to ensure parents, carers and young people have all the information they need and I would urge constituents to look out for this.
“Alongside the booster programme this will be a busy period for our largest ever vaccination programme but work has been underway for some time to plan for this and I am confident our roll-out will continue to be a huge success.”
Fulton MacGregor 