Scotland's autumn Covid booster programme begins

Care home residents are among the first to get the booster

Scotland's autumn booster programme against Covid-19 has begun.

More than two million people will be given the jag from Monday with some receiving a new dual vaccine which tackles the original virus and the Omicron variant.

Care home residents and frontline health and social care workers will be among the first to receive a jab.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said vaccines were still the best way to protect against the virus.

He added: "This country is indebted to those dedicated frontline workers who work tirelessly to get the majority of Scots immunised all year round - and whose efforts have led to a sharp reduction in hospitalisations in recent months.

"I encourage you to take up the offer of a booster when you receive your appointment."

The autumn booster programme was announced following advice from the UK's vaccine advisory body to offer jabs to over-65s, health and care staff and clinically vulnerable adults aged 16-64.

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Last month it emerged the UK had become the first country to approve a bivalent vaccine, made by Moderna.

Pfizer is also tweaking its Covid vaccine to better target Omicron.

Both vaccines will make up the UK's autumn booster stocks and Scotland is expected to receive a proportionate number of bivalent doses.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, confirmed the following groups should be offered some form of booster in the autumn:

• health and social care staff

• everyone aged 50 and over

• carers who are over the age of 16

• people over five whose health puts them at greater risk, including pregnant women

• people over five who share a house with someone with a weakened immune system

A spring booster was offered to a narrower group of people considered the most vulnerable to severe disease and death should they catch Covid.

After the first group receive their autumn jab, national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said everyone over 65 would receive a letter - though some already have.

He told Good Morning Scotland he was hopeful that all over 50s would be given an opportunity to book a booster appointment by the end of the year.

Mass vaccinations centres will not be used during this booster programme, but he said the plan was being kept in reserve in case an entirely new variant emerged.

'We're not done with Covid'

Figures released on Friday from the ONS Covid infection survey estimated there were about 96,000 people infected with Covid in Scotland on any given day in the week up to 23 August - about one in 55 people.

Prof Leitch said this was "entirely good news" and the best level Scotland had seen in eight months.

However when asked whether mass testing would be rolled out again, Prof Leitch said it was again in reserve.

He said: "It's a bit like face coverings and crowded areas, a bit like all the other elements of protection.

"We're very much hopeful large scale gatherings will stay forever now, we're hopeful that we won't have to do mass testing again.

"But there has to be a reserve list of stuff because the World Health Organisation (WHO) don't think we're done."