Scottish Conservatives demand the SNP reveal Covid vaccination plans after severe issues with this year's flu jab programme
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The Scottish Government must say how it plans to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine across Scotland in the wake of the “shambolic” around this year’s flu vaccination programme.
After news last week that a vaccine was developed in the United States, Highland MSP and Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron demanded answers from the government.
This follows a series of problems across the country when the flu vaccination programme became bogged-down in long queues which frequently saw elderly people waiting hours to get the jab.
The Tories want to know what sites are being considered as immunisation centres, what infrastructure and staffing resources are being put in place and what role GPs and pharmacists will play in a potential vaccination programme.
The party has also submitted a topical question to Parliament asking health secretary Jeane Freeman to explain her plans along with 14 other questions seeking greater detail.
Mr Cameron said: “People are understandably feeling positive about a potential vaccine for Coronavirus, which is why it is critical for the SNP government to lay out the detail of their roll-out plans as a matter of urgency.
“We can ill-afford to repeat the same shambolic mistakes we saw with the flu vaccination earlier this year.
“SNP ministers need to set out what infrastructure is being put in place right now so they are ahead of the game when it comes to rolling out any vaccine across Scotland when it becomes available, and doing so fairly and effectively.
“We must also hear how the SNP government will be promoting uptake of a vaccine and ensuring that enough staffing resources will be in place across Scotland to deliver it.”
The flu vaccination issues started when Scotland’s 14 health boards were handed responsibility for delivering the programme instead of GP practices.
In Invergordon, there was fury after dozens of elderly people were forced to wait in the rain despite arriving on time for their appointments.
