Covid Edinburgh: 'Waning interest' in vaccines as less than half over-75s getting their booster

Less than half of older people in Lothian are coming forward for their latest Covid booster jags.

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Fourth vaccinations have been on offer for people aged 75 and over, care home residents and those in high-risk groups since March 21.

But NHS Lothian board heard not everyone eligible was taking up the opportunity to get the extra protection against the virus.

Pete Lock, the board's director of improvement, said: "For the over-75s the take-up rate has been slightly under 50 per cent, so there is definitely a waning interest among the public."

Children aged between five and 11 are also now able to get Covid jags, Mr Lock said the take-up of the children's programme was around 25 per cent.

A report to the board on vaccination plans for 2022/23 set out projections for nearly 1.4 million doses - mostly against Covid but also covering flu, shingles and pneumonia - being delivered in Lothian.

That would mean up to 930,000 appointments. But the report added: "Staffed capacity may not need to be this high, as it seems likely there will be a gradual reduction in take up rates and high DNA (did not attend) rates in some cohorts."

NHS Lothian is planning to give almost 1.4 million vaccine doses over the next year.

Mr Lock said 2022/23 would be a transitional year, moving from what had been a mass vaccination emergency programme to establishing the capacity for a long-term programme.

"Four of the large mass vaccination centres which NHS Lothian ave been running have now closed or will be closing in the next few months and we're working towards a moe locally-based model."

A more permanent workforce would also be put in place to carry out the programme. The report said: "The Scottish Government have requested that NHS Boards have sufficient capacity to deliver 200,000 doses per week at a Scotland level, with further capacity for a 66,000 surge plan. NHS Lothian’s ‘share’ of this is circa. 32,000 appointments per week plus a further 10,000 surge capacity."

It said NHS Lothian had been given an allocation of £14.2 million, based on the usual funding formula which disadvantages Lothian, and there was a £2m shortfall. And it added: "The current allocation and costs are for workforce only. There will be additional costs relating to premises and venue running costs."

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