Vaccination of 12- to 15-year-olds will begin in Scotland on Monday, with appointment letters going out to young people a week later, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Ms Sturgeon also said that schools will not initially be used to deliver the vaccine to 12-to 15-year-olds in Scotland, in order to “to facilitate informed consent”.
She told the Scottish Parliament this afternoon that appointments at clinics and drop-in centres would make it easier for parents and carers to accompany their children, and also allow questions to be answered and advice to be given.
However, she added that, if necessary, schools might be used at a later date to improve vaccine uptake.
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Ms Sturgeon also said that face masks would now remain in place in schools until the October holidays - initially the government had planned to review the use of face coverings six weeks into the new term - and that advice in the letters sent by schools to lower-risk contacts of Covid-19 cases would now contain “a strengthened recommendation” to take a lateral flow test before returning to school.
The change comes in the wake of concerns that the new rules on contact tracing, designed to minimise disruption to education, mean children who would previously have had to isolate are not even being required to take a test before returning to school.
Ms Sturgeon told MSPs: “Given the high levels of infection still being experienced, the advisory sub-group has advised that [the requirement for face coverings] should remain in place until the October holidays, and be reviewed again then.
“I know how unpopular this is with many pupils and I understand why.
“But, for now, it remains a prudent and necessary precaution.”
Responding to the news that a vaccination programme for 12- to 15-years-olds would soon get under way, Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it was “disappointing” that the programme could not have started sooner, given that the government had previously said it was preparing for the roll-out to that age group.
Mr Sarwar also questioned why teachers and school support staff had not been earmarked for booster jabs.
Ms Sturgeon said the advice to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds had only been received yesterday and that the vaccinations would start on Monday. She said it was a “speedy start” but it was important that accessible information on vaccination was available for young people and their parents and carers
Responding to Mr Sarwar on boosters for school staff, Ms Sturgeon said it was not for her - as a politician - to “second-guess the experts when it comes to vaccination”.
Ms Sturgeon confirmed that booster vaccines will be offered to all adults over 50, to frontline health and care workers, and some others.
Health workers will be able to book these from Monday 20 September, along with care home residents and those in receipt of regular flu jabs, while those over 70 or at high risk will be contacted by their GP soon, the first minister said.
Other groups, including all adults over 50, those with underlying conditions, adult carers, unpaid and young carers, or those who live with someone who is immuno-suppressed, will be able to book a jab online from October.
