All over 80s will have been offered a vaccine by next Friday, says NHS Borders

In an update today, a spokesperson for the local health board said: “Over 11,000 people have received their first dose of the covid vaccine in the Borders so far.

"This includes over 6,900 health and social care staff, all care home residents and over 4,000 people aged 80 and over.

"All people aged 80 and over will have been offered a vaccination by February 5.”

Once all over-80s have been offered their vaccination, the attention then turns to wave two, which will look at vaccinating another 24,000 Borderers.

They are all those aged 75 and over, all aged 70 and over and “clinically extremely vulnerable individuals”, then all those aged 65 and over.

During wave two, vaccinators will also be working to offer the necessary second vaccinations to those who have received their first already.

The spokesperson added: “Vaccinations for this wave will be delivered in GP practices and some community venues.

"People who are eligible will be contacted to book their appointment in order of the priority list.

"You will be advised which venue you will receive your vaccination at when you are contacted to book your appointment.

"Please do not contact your practice or our booking hub direct unless advised to do so.

“During this time our teams will also be administering second doses to those who were vaccinated in wave one; the co-ordination of which is a huge undertaking.

"We therefore ask that the public remain patient as there will be variation throughout the Borders as practices and venues receive vaccine supplies and administer them to their local community.

"Our staff continue to work incredibly hard to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible in line with the national rollout plan.

"Up to date information about our vaccination programme is available on our website: http://www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk/covid-19-vaccination."

Meanwhile, local MSP Christine Grahame has written to NHS Borders to ask why there seemed to have been a delay in administering the vaccine to those in wave one, saying that NHS Borders was at the “bottom of the league in the roll-out to over 80s.”

She said: “I’m really concerned to hear that NHS Borders is bottom of the league in the roll out to over 80s, particularly now the programme is being extended to over 70s. This is reflected in the number of constituents in their 80s who’ve contacted me because they’ve not yet heard anything from their GP, in contrast to other similar areas elsewhere, and while letters to the over 70s are being issued.

“Officials from the Scottish Government have now intervened to press the board to pick up the pace and to try to ascertain why it’s falling behind, with NHS Borders being told it must reach 85% of over 80s by this Sunday night.

“I don’t for a minute criticicise the front line staff responsible for delivering these vaccines, I know they’re working hard but they can only work with what they have. We need to establish why NHS Borders has dropped behind so this can be rectified urgently and I know the Scottish Government is working with the board to do so.”