Covid in Scotland: Under 50s next to be vaccinated

Scotland will be following the same approach for vaccinating those under 50 as the rest of the UK, the country's health secretary has confirmed.

Jeane Freeman said people aged 40-49 will be prioritised in the next phase of the programme, followed by those aged 30-39 and then those 18-29.

The first doses for over-50s and the most vulnerable are expected to have been administered by mid April.

She said working on the basis of age, not job, was the right approach.

This was because age was the biggest risk factor for serious illness and death, she added.

Ministers have been facing calls to prioritise the vaccination of frontline workers like teachers and police officers.

But Ms Freeman told the Covid briefing it was right that the government follow the clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

"They [the JCVI] are crystal clear about where the greatest risk factor lies - it lies on age, it isn't based on where you work," she said.

Even among groups with heightened risk, she said age had been identified by the JCVI as the most significant factor - and vaccinating on this basis was the quickest and most effective way of protecting the most vulnerable.

It also makes "significant sense" logistically to vaccinate on this basis, as age - unlike occupation - could be easily identified through health records.

Responding to the announcement, the EIS teachers' union said school staff were worried about working in classrooms.

General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: "The Scottish government has used its devolved authority in the past to prioritise the vaccination of other groups of vital workers, such as care home staff, and must act now to ensure that all staff in our schools are also properly protected from Covid risk."

And the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said the decision was "hugely disappointing".

Chairman David Hamilton said: "Police officers are dealing with increasing non compliance, increasing community risk and that is likely to get worse as those who are vaccinated are tempted to not follow regulations.

"If asked, we could provide 17,000 arms across the country tomorrow."

Opposition leaders also said some key workers may be concerned by the decision.

Scottish Conservatives' Donald Cameron said he supported schemes offering spare vaccines to police officers, and urged health boards to consider other frontline staff too.

However, he said: "What is important now is that after a slow start in the SNP's rollout, the vaccination programme continues as quickly as possible. This has become a real Scottish and UK success story, and we need that to carry on."

Scottish Labour's Iain Gray said the JCVI should have taken a "broader view", and said if the Scottish government had decided to vaccinate teachers then schools may have been able to reopen faster - which the government has said is its top priority.

Patrick Harvie, of the Scottish Greens, said emergency services staff, teachers and others who are unable to work from home have reason to ask if the government is looking after their safety.

And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said that key workers have "borne a greater risk" of encountering the virus and should be given "reassurance", if not by a vaccine then by regular asymptomatic testing and PPE.

The target is to offer a first jab to everyone aged over 50 and those with an underlying health condition by the middle of April.

The remainder of the adult population should receive their first dose of the vaccine by the end of July, subject to the availability of supplies.

By mid April, everyone over 50 and younger people with underlying conditions should have received one dose.

Many aged between 40 and 50 with no underlying health problems will now be wondering when they might get their appointments.

No date has been given - but they will be the next group to be contacted.

Mid to late April would currently seem a realistic aspiration.

But if it is possible to reach everyone in the preceding categories before then in a particular area and supplies allow, could some get their jab before then?

New data also shows what percentage of the population in different health board areas have been vaccinated.

In the Western Isles, the total is already 48% with Shetland and Dumfries and Galloway close behind.

Lothian's rate is lowest at 28.5%.

The update on who will be vaccinated next came as the Scottish government confirmed that 1,542,929 people in Scotland had now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Ms Freeman also reported that 27 deaths were recorded on Thursday, bringing the death toll under this measure - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - to 7,111.

She added that 581 cases were identified through testing in the prior 24 hours

The daily test positivity rate fell to 3.3%, down from 3.7% the previous day.

And she added that 924 people were currently in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 43 in 24 hours, and 80 patients are in intensive care, down nine.