Covid in Scotland: Isles close to completing first dose jabs

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Western Isles vaccination
Image caption,

A vaccination clinic in the Western Isles

Everyone eligible for the Covid vaccine in the Western Isles has now been offered an appointment to receive their first dose, its health board has said.

Already 86.7% of the eligible adult population in the isles have had a first jab and almost 50% have had both.

There are fewer than 20,000 people on the islands eligible for the vaccine but they are spread over a large and sparsely population area.

It is a similar situation in Shetland, Orkney and rural parts of the mainland.

  • In Shetland 86.4% of eligible people have had their first jab, 48% have had both doses

  • Orkney's figures are 79.1% and 36.6%

  • NHS Borders says 71.6% have had their first dose

  • Seven in 10 people (70.6%) in Dumfries and Galloway have had their first jab, and just over half (51%) have had both.

NHS Western Isles said everyone within the priority groups on the islands had either attended a vaccination clinic appointment, had an appointment scheduled to attend, or had been invited to make an appointment.

Image caption,

Senior charge nurse Catherine Maciver urged islanders to take up the offer of an appointment

Chief executive Gordon Jamieson praised island communities for their help and hard work with the vaccine rollout.

Catherine Maciver, senior charge nurse of the Western Isles' vaccine programme, urged islanders in the 18-39 age group who had not taken up the offer of a first jab to get in touch.

She said: "The vaccine is waiting for them and we are waiting to deliver it."

From 17 May, the Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney are to move to level one due to their record for low Covid rates.

The Western Isles has recorded its first case since the end of March. The islands health board it was linked to travel from the mainland.

Mainland Scotland is to enter level two, with a decision expected later this week on Moray where Covid cases had been rising.