Covid in Scotland: How are islands delivering the vaccine?

Shetland has delivered a first dose jab to 93% of its eligible population

Scotland's island health boards have been among those to make the greatest progress in vaccinating all adults eligible for a Covid jab.

NHS Shetland leads the way with 93% of the eligible population receiving a first dose, according to the latest Public Health Scotland data.

South of Scotland health boards, it must be noted, are very close behind Shetland with 92.8% for NHS Dumfries and Galloway and 92% for NHS Borders.

For the other islands health boards, NHS Western Isles and Orkney are both on 91.9% for first doses delivered.

NHS Western Isles is top for the whole of Scotland for second dose jabs with 85% of the eligible population having had both doses, and the last mass vaccination clinics have been held on Uist, Barra and Lewis.

The Western Isles heath board also said it was the first area in Scotland to complete the target of inviting all eligible adults for their first dose of vaccine back in May.

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For Lothian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Tayside, health boards with some of Scotland highest Covid rates, the figures for first doses are 83.4%, 83.5% and 85.9% and for second - 55.7%, 58.2% and 64.7%.

NHS Western Isles said its vaccination programme had required a "huge team effort"

While Scotland's islands have small populations, there are challenges around travel with many communities having to be reached by ferry or plane.

NHS Western Isles said its mass vaccination programme had required a "huge team effort from the start".

Coastguard teams, firefighters and street pastors have played a part in helping to deliver vaccines, and spread the word about vaccinations.

NHS Western Isles chief executive, Gordon Jamieson, said said he was "humbled and hugely grateful" for how communities had pulled together over the past months.

He said: "The clinics simply couldn't have run without the invaluable input of all the agencies involved, and I would like to thank everyone from our own staff, our partners who provided instrumental and varied support, local volunteers, and local businesses and organisations."

In Orkney 91.9% of eligible adults have had their first dose

Dr Susan Laidlaw, interim director of public health at NHS Shetland, said health staff have been working hard to reach every eligible adult.

She said: "We have tried to phone everyone who is registered with a Shetland GP who is eligible for the vaccine. For those we have not been able to reach by phone, we have sent at least one letter.

"So, we believe we have tried to contact all our eligible population and offer vaccination."

Dr Laidlaw said some islanders have not been able to have the vaccine yet because they were working away from home, while others had declined a vaccination or not responded to phone calls and letters.

She added: "There are new people being added to our eligible cohort all the time - there are people in Shetland who have moved here recently and may not have had first vaccination, or who have recently turned 18.

"The GP practices are, therefore, doing regular searches to identify people who are newly eligible so we can contact them.

"There are also a number of people living or working in Shetland who are not registered with a Shetland GP and so we are reliant on them contacting us."

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