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Has Scotland been slower to vaccinate over-80s? Is Scotland 'lagging behind' on vaccinating the population?
(about 20 hours later)
Scotland is receiving vaccines based on its share of the population but has its rollout to the over-80s been slower than England? The latest breakdown of vaccination figures shows 13% of the 80-and-over age group in Scotland had received their first dose by last weekend.
The answer appears to be yes. This is still well behind the figures published in England almost a week ago, which showed 36% of the age group had been vaccinated south of the border.
But it is because it has pursued a different strategy, with Scotland making sure that care home residents and healthcare staff were at the top of the list. The Scottish government maintains it has been slower because it had "very deliberately" concentrated on vaccinating care home residents first, which is "more time consuming and labour intensive".
On Tuesday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told parliament that the Scottish government had made "a deliberate decision" to focus firstly on elderly care home residents. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told parliament that this was designed to target the most vulnerable and was in line with the priority list compiled by the JCVI, which advises on vaccine rollout across the UK.
She said this was in line with the priority list compiled by the JCVI, which advises on vaccine rollout across the UK. She said Scotland had given the first dose of the vaccine to about 90% of care home residents. In England 50% of care home residents have been vaccinated, according to vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi.
Ms Sturgeon said care home residents had the greatest vulnerability to becoming ill and dying from this virus and so giving them the protection of the vaccine as quickly as possible was likely to have the most immediate impact on saving lives. The daily figures for Wednesday show that England has vaccinated 9% of the total adult population with first dose and Scotland has so far reached 6.9%.
However, vaccinating in care homes is "more time consuming and labour intensive" than doing so in the community, she said. At First Minister's Questions, Conservative MSP Ruth Davidson accused Ms Sturgeon of not explaining why Scotland's vaccine programme was "lagging behind" and why doses were not "reaching GPs quickly enough".
Ms Sturgeon said Scotland had given the first dose of the vaccine to about 90% of care home residents. In England 50% of care home residents have been vaccinated, according to vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi. Ms Sturgeon said England's daily rate of increase in vaccinations was now slowing as they tried to catch up on elderly care home residents.
The first minister said vaccinating over-80s in the community was now picking up pace, with the target being to have them all given the first dose by 5 February - the same date as England. She said Scotland's rate of vaccinations was speeding up considerably.
How do vaccinations compare? "We are all grappling with same issues and we are all working to the same targets," Ms Sturgeon said.
The latest daily figures show 284,582 people in Scotland have received their first dose of the vaccine. This has risen by 60,541 in the past four days. The latest Public Health Scotland figures show that by Sunday 17 January 35,383 of the 270,000 people aged 80 and above had been given their first dose of the vaccine.
The most recent figures for people receiving their first dose of the vaccine (19 January) show That means that about 80,000 people a week will need to be vaccinated over the next three weeks to meet the 7 February target.
England - 3,687,286 (8.3% of the adult population) Another 474,000 people between 70 and 80 will need to be vaccinated by a week later.
Scotland - 284,582 (6.4% of the adult population) What about the over-80s?
Wales - 161,392 (6.4% of the adult population) The daily figures for vaccination do not include a breakdown of who has been vaccinated. Scotland and England now provide weekly statistics which give more detail.
Northern Ireland - 132,857 (9.1% of the adult population) Scotland's latest weekly figures show:
For the second dose the figures are: Scotland - 80 and over - 35,383 (13.1% of the age group) had received their first dose by Sunday 17 January
England - 431,136 (1% of the adult population) England - 80 and over - 1,036,605 (36% of the age group) had received their first dose by Sunday 10 January (new figures to be published on Thursday)
Scotland - 3,886 (0.1% of the adult population) By 10 January, more than one-third of people aged 80 and over in England had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Wales - 265 (0.01% of the adult population) On Wednesday 20 January, Ms Sturgeon said the community vaccination programme in Scotland was "ramping up".
Northern Ireland - 21,579 (1.4% of the adult population) She estimated that about 20% of people aged 80-plus had now had the first dose.
A Scottish government spokeswoman said JCVI advice to prioritise the first dose of the vaccine meant "we would not expect significant numbers to receive the second dose at this time".
She said: "The JCVI models suggest initially vaccinating a greater number of people with a single dose will prevent more deaths and hospitalisations than vaccinating a smaller number of people with two doses. Those who have received their first dose, will get the second within the 12-week period."
What about the over 80s?
The daily figures do not include a breakdown of who has been vaccinated. Scotland and England now provide weekly statistics which give more detail.
The latest weekly figures show the situation on Sunday, 10 January.
England - 80 and over - 1,036,605 (36% of the age group)
Scotland - 80 and over - 18,714 (6.9% of the age group)
At that stage, more than one-third of people aged 80 and over in England had received at least one dose.
In England's North East and Yorkshire region the figure was 46% - more than any other area.
North-east England leads over-80s vaccination race
In London and the East of England the figure was about 30%, which is still far higher than the 6.9% in Scotland.
On Tuesday (19 January), Nicola Sturgeon said the "pace of progress in the over-80s group is now picking up".
She estimated that between 15% and 20% had already had the first dose.
Northern Ireland has now provided its first information on the number of people aged 80 and over who had been vaccinated.Northern Ireland has now provided its first information on the number of people aged 80 and over who had been vaccinated.
By Tuesday it had 34,553 people aged 80 or over (42.3% of the age group). By Tuesday it had vaccinated 34,553 people aged 80 or over (42.3% of the age group).
Ms Sturgeon said Scotland was on track for all over-80s to have been offered the first dose by the start of February. Ms Sturgeon said Scotland was on track for all over-80s to have been offered the first dose by the end of the first week in February.
In Scotland people under 50 account for almost half of vaccinations administered up to Sunday 10 January (48.2%) while in England they were just 19.8%. Who has been vaccinated?
A further breakdown of the Scotland figures shows that the bulk of the vaccinations were health care workers - 101,954 - and care home staff - 24,908. In Scotland people under 50 account for almost half of vaccinations administered up to Sunday 17 January (46.6%).
By Tuesday (19 Jan), Ms Sturgeon said more than 70% of all frontline health and care workers had received the first dose. A further breakdown of the Scotland figures shows that the bulk of the vaccinations were health care workers - 137,005 - and care home staff - 31,490.
Ms Sturgeon said more than 70% of all frontline health and care workers had received the first dose.
Three-quarters of those vaccinated so far are female, perhaps reflecting the make-up of the staff in the NHS and care homes.Three-quarters of those vaccinated so far are female, perhaps reflecting the make-up of the staff in the NHS and care homes.
Frontline health and social care workers are in the JCVI's priority Group 2, along with all those aged 80 and over.
What are the targets?What are the targets?
Both the UK and Scottish governments have pledged to have offered a first dose of the vaccine to all the first four JCVI groups by mid-February.Both the UK and Scottish governments have pledged to have offered a first dose of the vaccine to all the first four JCVI groups by mid-February.
That is:That is:
residents in a care home for older adults and their carersresidents in a care home for older adults and their carers
all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workersall those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
all those 75 years of age and overall those 75 years of age and over
all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individualsall those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
In Scotland, groups one and two are due a vaccine by the start of February, with groups three and four by the middle of the month. That is about 1.1 million people.In Scotland, groups one and two are due a vaccine by the start of February, with groups three and four by the middle of the month. That is about 1.1 million people.
The Scottish government will need to average about 250,000 vaccinations a week to reach that target. The latest figure shows 264,991 vaccinations in just over a month (6% of the adult population). The Scottish government will need to average about 200,000 vaccinations a week to reach that target. The latest figure shows 309,909 vaccinations in just over a month (6.9% of the adult population).
The figures are increasing. They are currently at about 15,000 a day and "scaling up". The figures are increasing. They are currently at about 25,000 a day and "scaling up".
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman pledged: "We we will have the workforce and the infrastructure to vaccinate 400,000 people each week by the end of February."Health Secretary Jeane Freeman pledged: "We we will have the workforce and the infrastructure to vaccinate 400,000 people each week by the end of February."
Other targets in the Scottish government's vaccine deployment plan include:Other targets in the Scottish government's vaccine deployment plan include:
By early March By early March:
All those over 65All those over 65
By early May By early May:
all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortalityall individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
all those 50 years of age and over all those 50 years of age and over.