Nursing home stimulus program begins as 12-15 year olds urged to jabs

The rollout in Scotland of Covid booster vaccinations for residents of nursing homes is due to begin, while children aged 12 to 15 will be offered their first coronavirus vaccine.

The Scottish government has confirmed that older residents of nursing homes are the first to be offered both flu and coronavirus booster shots from Monday, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and the immunization (JCVI).

Vaccination clinics will also be open to children and youth aged 12 to 15 from Monday if they wish to receive their vaccine before receiving an appointment letter.

Frontline health and social workers will be able to make an appointment for an online reminder on NHS Inform from Tuesday of this week.

Adults 70 and over and those 16 and over on the highest risk list (formerly known as the protective list) will start to be contacted by mail or their GP from the end of September.

People on the highest risk list who were severely immunocompromised at the time of their last Covid vaccination will be offered a third primary dose instead.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that other eligible groups – including all people aged 16-49 with underlying health conditions, adult caregivers, unpaid and young carers, adult family contacts of individuals immunocompromised and all adults over 50 – will be able to make an appointment online from October. .

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I am delighted to see the recall program start for residents of nursing homes for the elderly, providing more lasting protection against serious illness of Covid-19.”

He added: ‘We are also starting vaccination for 12-15 year olds after Scottish ministers accepted advice from the four UK chief medical officers.

“This group can now go to walk-in clinics for their injections or wait for a letter offering them an appointment.”

Booster vaccines will be offered to millions of people across the UK from Monday, alongside annual flu shots.

Scientists behind the CovBoost trial said there was an “increase” in the levels of antibodies generated in people who received a third dose in the clinical trial.

The study, which informed the JCVI’s decision for the recall program, is due to release its findings publicly in early October.

Three vaccines have been approved as safe and effective as a booster, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, but experts have decided to go with Pfizer as the preference after studies have shown it is well tolerated and works well as a booster.