Children in Lothian at risk from COVID-19, along with children living with an immunosuppressed person, are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
Launched yesterday, dedicated clinics especially designed for to cater for children will operate across the region. They will be open between 8.30am – 4.30pm, seven days a week, for pre-booked appointments only.
Jane McNulty, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “We are delighted to offer these clinics to the youngest people in our community.
“These clinics will be operated by specially trained paediatric vaccinators in a clinical environment, which will allow children, parents and guardians to discuss the vaccination process in a calm environment.”
The vaccination will first be offered to children with a higher COVID-19 risk factor and children living in the household of an immunosuppressed person, it will then be offered to the wider child population in due course.
Those eligible for the vaccination will receive a letter from NHS Lothian in the coming days with details about how to book an appointment through the National Vaccination Helpline. Parents and guardian do not need to actively contact NHS Lothian to arrange an appointment.
The clinics are opening their doors following the publication and government acceptance of the advice of the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to offer two doses of the Pfizer childhood COVID-19 vaccine.
All children will receive two doses eight weeks apart. A third primary dose is also being offered to children aged 5-11 years with a severely weakened immune system. The third primary dose will be offered from 8 weeks after the second dose.
Ms McNulty added: “We recognise that parents and guardians may have questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccination and we encourage them to visit the pages on NHS Inform where there is a range of information available.
“Alongside this, our paediatric vaccinators are one hand to answer any questions people may have when they attend their child’s vaccination appointment.
“Vaccination remains critically important in the continued fight against COVID-19 and we welcome the further expansion of the vaccination programme across Lothian.”
Established vaccination clinics for over 12s will continue to operate separately from these clinics, with NHS Lothian still encouraging all over 12s to get any outstanding vaccinations.
Over 18s can receive their 1st, 2nd and booster vaccinations at all drop-in clinics. Those aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose if it has been at least 12 weeks since their first dose and they have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 12 weeks.
More information on the 5-11 vaccination programme is available on NHS Inform:
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that boosters significantly reduce the risk of death with Omicron
The findings show that around 6 months after a second dose of any of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, protection against death with Omicron was around 60% in those aged 50 and over. However, this increased to around 95% 2 weeks after receiving a booster vaccine dose.
The data continue to show high levels of protection against hospitalisation from the booster. After a Pfizer booster (after either primary vaccination course), vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation started at around 90%, dropping to around 75% after 10 to 14 weeks.
After a Moderna booster (mRNA-1273) (after either primary vaccination course), vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation was 90% to 95% up to 9 weeks after vaccination. Longer follow-up data is not yet available and these figures may change with time.
An initial analysis of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant sub-lineage known as BA.2 (designated VUI-22JAN-01 on 19 January), reveals a similar level of protection for symptomatic infection compared to Omicron (BA.1).
After 2 doses, effectiveness was 9% and 13% respectively for BA.1 and BA.2, after 25+ weeks. This increased to 63% for BA.1 and 70% for BA.2 from 2 weeks following a booster vaccine.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: “The evidence is clear – the vaccine helps to protect us all against the effects of COVID-19 and the booster is offering high levels of protection from hospitalisation and death in the most vulnerable members of our society.
“The pandemic is not over yet and the vaccine is the best way to increase your protection against the serious consequences of this virus – please book your appointment for your first, second or third vaccine without delay.”
Vaccines minister Maggie Throup said: “A booster vaccine is absolutely crucial to topping up your immunity against the Omicron variant.
“More than 80% of eligible adults in England have already received their booster and this has allowed us to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
“You can book online, visit a walk-in or one of our many pop-up vaccination clinics – please get boosted now.”
Glasgow’s homeless and at risk communities get boosted against COVID
Some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable communities have been getting boosted at the Lodging House Mission in the city centre.
Advanced Nurse Practitioners have been providing jags from the charity’s premises in the city centre, where they provide care and support to homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded people.
Glasgow City’s Health and Social Care Partnership’s Complex Needs Service – previously known as Homeless Health Service – support around 450 people at any one time. The people they see often have addiction issues, mental health issues and often really poor physical health.
At the first clinic last week, 36 jags were administered – and the team hope more people will attend the clinic as more people hear about the weekly clinic. The team has already visited around 50 locations across the city where homeless people are located, putting more than 900 jags into arms.
Kirsty Paterson, the senior advanced nurse practitioner who co-ordinates and delivers the vaccine programme, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to do this work and to help some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable communities to get their vaccines and boosters.
“Once word spread that we were here at the Lodging House we were surprised, but really pleased to see a queue outside the door. The response has been fantastic.”
Lisa Ross, Service Manager at the service, said: “Some of the people we work with have very complex health and care needs. A severe COVID infection could be fatal.
“Throughout the pandemic, our team has been reaching out to vulnerable communities, going where they are and providing a service which helps to save lives. We’re grateful to the Lodging House Mission for their help in the vaccination efforts and we’ll continue to do everything we can in the fight against this virus.”
June Macleod, Manager at the Lodging House Mission said: “We’re delighted to have the vaccination clinic on site. A lot of our guys have underlying health issues and don’t engage and don’t often keep appointments, so bringing the vaccinations to them is a big help.
“The team have been fantastic and we’re really excited to see who might come to the next clinic, we know there’s been a real buzz as words spreads. It’s been great working alongside our colleagues from the health board in the fight against COVID helping to keep vulnerable people and our communities safe.”
The vaccination clinic will continue to operate every Tuesday at the Lodging House Mission’s premises on East Campbell Street.
New research says lack of trust in public sector officials has played a key role in low uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations amongst groups termed “high risk.”
According to research from the Universities of Birmingham and Leeds, vaccine hesitancy was greatest among people from lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. The researchers recommended that the Government should review public health messaging, with a focus on tailoring health promotion advice to these groups and greater effort in improving trust in public sector and the Government.
The study showed during the period immediately before Britain’s COVID vaccine rollout in December 2020, over 11% of UK adults said they were unwilling to take a COVID vaccine. But this hesitancy wasn’t spread evenly across the population.
It was lowest among white people, with 9% saying they didn’t want a COVID vaccine. In comparison, 50% of Black people said they didn’t want to receive the vaccine, and hesitancy was also high in other non-white groups: 28% of South Asian and 17% of other Asian respondents said they were unwilling to be vaccinated.
Dr Kausik Chaudhuri, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Leeds University Business School and lead author of the study said: “Our study shows that hesitancy is at least partly driven by people feeling disenfranchised by the state or not trusting government personnel.
“When we analysed data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we found that participants who agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “public officials don’t care”, or who felt that they “don’t have a say in what government does”, were least likely to want to get vaccinated.
“It is worth noting that their responses were not based on how the government had been managing the pandemic. Rather, they can be interpreted as a reflection of peoples’ overall faith in public institutions, irrespective of COVID.”
Even though rates of declared vaccine hesitancy have since fallen, the research paper suggests that the general trends have been borne out over the past year across every age group: COVID vaccine uptake has been highest among white people and lowest among Black people, with the difference often a sizable gap of around 20 percentage points.
Among those eligible for the vaccine, the uptake of booster doses has also been low among non-white groups.
The research also showed that:
Clinically-vulnerable respondents were more willing to take a COVID jab.
Self-employed people were less willing to get vaccinated compared to employed people.
Respondents who said that they felt positive about their financial wellbeing were almost three times as likely to be willing to take a vaccine compared to those felt they were just getting by or struggling.
Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Economics from the University of Birmingham and co-author of the study (above) says: “Building trust in the public sector and government are essential to improving uptake amongst groups who are most at risk from COVID.
“Public sector officials along with government need to look at new and innovative ways to engage with citizens as well as be transparent in their communication to refute fake news related to vaccines.
“Similarly, it is imperative that politicians and officials maintain high ethical standards during times of emergency like the pandemic when there is reduced oversight. It hasn’t helped in the UK where we see news of parties being held at Downing Street in the middle of lockdowns along with reports of the government breaking the law in the awarding of PPE contracts which has only lowered public trust in officials.
“During a period when new COVID-19 variants are on the horizon, the focus should be on clear public health messages around vaccination, rather than what is making headlines in this regard.”
Children aged five to 11 years old who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 will be invited for their first vaccination from this week onwards.
Parents do not need to book an appointment for them online as they will be contacted directly by Health Boards.
Those five to 11 year olds who are household contacts of people with immune suppression will be invited to receive their vaccination in due course.
Letters will also be sent to young people aged 12-15 who are at particular clinical risk from COVID-19 inviting them for a booster jag, 12 weeks after their last primary dose.
Meanwhile, second doses are now available for all 12 to 15 year olds who had their first dose at least twelve weeks previously. This cohort can book an appointment online at NHS Inform or go to a drop-in centre. Parents and carers are welcome to accompany them..
Any 16 or 17 year old can book a booster online for 12 weeks after their second dose. They can also visit any drop-in centre.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The vaccination programme continues to be a huge success and we are so grateful to all those who have taken up the offer of a vaccination and of course, every single person involved in the delivery of our national programme.
“In this next part of the programme we continue to deliver boosters and take forward the latest advice from the JCVI regarding younger cohorts. They and their parents can find out more about the vaccination that is recommended for each age group at NHS Inform.
“We urge all those who are eligible for any dose to take up the offer to protect them, those around them and of course our NHS at this particularly busy time.”
‘Vaccination is vital’: Scots urged to get boosted as soon as possible
Anyone who has not yet received their booster or third dose is being urged to come forward now, to give the best possible protection against the Omicron variant.
That includes anyone who was unable to attend a vaccination clinic before the Hogmanay bells because of a COVID-19 infection, or if they were self-isolating.
People who are aged 18 and over can receive a booster 28 days after they tested positive or if it has been at least 12 weeks since their second dose.
Young people aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose of the vaccine – many will have received an appointment but this group can also attend a drop-in clinic at a time and place convenient for them as long as 12 weeks have passed since their first jab.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The recent acceleration of activity in response to the emerging threat of the Omicron variant has been a remarkable national endeavour and I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to all those involved.
“More than three million people have now received a booster or third dose, offering strengthened protection from the virus and reducing the risk of hospitalisation from the virus.
“However, we believe Omicron has not yet peaked, and the pressure being felt by the health and social care system is extremely high. So, to protect ourselves and the NHS at this critical time it is vital people complete the vaccination course for which they are eligible. It remains vital that everyone gets their booster vaccine when they are eligible.
“We know many people have been unable to attend appointments because of the virus, or due to self-isolation, so I urge anyone who has been unable to attend to rearrange it or go to a drop-in clinic.
“It is never too late to receive your booster – or a first or second dose – so please come forward as soon as possible, as there is plenty of capacity available.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman said: “Data shows you are significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital if you are unvaccinated.
“We now know that boosters provide the best possible protection against this variant of the virus. My clinical colleagues and I know the difference this will make – we see it in our hospitals and communities every day. Please get vaccinated.”
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccination at NHS Inform
Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults
Latest data from UKHSA shows booster doses are continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from the Omicron variant among older adults.
Figures show that around 3 months after they received the third jab, protection against hospitalisation among those aged 65 and over remains at about 90%.
With just 2 vaccine doses, protection against severe disease drops to around 70% after 3 months and to 50% after 6 months.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has taken this latest evidence into account in their ongoing review of the booster programme.
The Committee advises that at this present time:
there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, or fourth jab, to the most vulnerable (care home residents and those aged over 80) – the timing and need for further booster doses will continue to be reviewed as the data evolves
priority should continue to be given to rolling out first booster doses to all age groups
unvaccinated individuals should come forward for their first 2 doses as soon as possible
Professor Wei Shen Lim, the JCVI’s chair of COVID-19 immunisation, said: “The current data shows the booster dose is continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease, even for the most vulnerable older age groups.
“For this reason, the committee has concluded there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, though this will continue to be reviewed.
“The data is highly encouraging and emphasises the value of a booster jab. With Omicron continuing to spread widely, I encourage everyone to come forward for their booster dose, or if unvaccinated, for their first 2 doses, to increase their protection against serious illness.”
The latest study looked at booster doses in those aged over 65, who were among the first to be eligible when the booster rollout began in mid-September.
Whilst with a booster dose, the duration of protection against severe disease remains high, protection against mild symptomatic infection is more short-lived and drops to around 30% by about 3 months.
Changes are being made to self-isolation rules in line with public health advice and testing requirements to help maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that anyone who tests positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, must still self-isolate for 10 days.
However, from today, Thursday 6 January, new cases will be advised they can end self-isolation if they don’t have a fever and test negative on a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) on Day 6 and again at least 24 hours later.
Triple vaccinated close contacts of those who test positive, both household and non-household, or those under the age of 18 and four months, do not need to isolate as long as they return a negative LFD test result each day for seven consecutive days, and remain fever free.
The intention is for the public to be sufficiently reassured of a negative Covid-19 status during the potential incubation period.
Any close contact who is not fully vaccinated (three doses) will still have to self-isolate for the 10 days and take a PCR test.
Changes are also being made to testing after a positive LFD – people will no longer be asked to take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Instead, anyone with a positive LFD should report the result online as soon as the test is done. This ensures that people can get the advice they need as quickly as possible. After reporting their result, people should then fill in the online form they will receive, so that contacts can also be informed and rapidly given the correct advice.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “When the Omicron variant started to take hold, we strengthened self-isolation requirements, so that all household contacts had to self isolate for 10 days.
“That step was intended to slow the spread of the variant. It also reflected the fact that we knew less about the severity of the virus at that time, and that less of the population had protection from booster and third jags.
“We are now in a very different position – and so we can now adopt different rules.
“These changes are significant, but we believe they are also justified at this phase of the pandemic. They balance the importance of self-isolation – in slowing the virus’s spread and reducing the harm it can cause – with the wider harms to the economy that broader self-isolation rules can cause.”
If you have symptoms of Covid-19 (a fever, new continuous cough, or loss of sense of taste or smell) it is important to isolate and book a PCR test (even if you have already tested positive with an LFD) – that advice has not changed.
Getting a Lateral Flow Test:
People in Scotland who need a Lateral Flow Test can do so in the following ways:
By ordering online for home delivery. A box of 7 lateral flow test will arrive within 24-48 hours. Additional booking slots are added throughout the day.
At over 1,000 Community Pharmacies. People will be able to collect one pack of 7 lateral flow tests. Pharmacies can receive a box of around 60 packs of lateral flow tests each day.
At over 60 Testing Sites. People will be able to collect one pack of 7 lateral flow tests from any regional or local test site in Scotland.
At many other collect points established by Local Authorities. Follow this link to find information on additional local sites in your community.
From where they learn or where they work if in education, health and social care or any workplace with more than 10 employees which have signed up for our workplace testing programme.
First Minister’s statement – 5 January 2022
Presiding Officer,
Firstly, I wish you, members and staff in Parliament, and everyone across the country a happy new year.
Today, I will report on the continuing rise in COVID cases.
I will outline our approach to managing this phase of the pandemic
As part of that, I will set out immediate changes to the requirements for self-isolation and testing.
And while we are not proposing any additional measures at this stage, I will confirm that existing protections and guidance will remain in place for the coming week, pending further review.
And finally, given that Omicron may not be the last new COVID variant that we face, I will also signal some longer term work to consider the adaptations necessary to enable us to deal more proportionately and sustainably with any future phases of the pandemic.
First, though, today’s statistics.
16,103 positive cases were reported yesterday – 26.9% of all tests carried out.
1,223 people are in hospital with COVID. That’s 71 more than yesterday – but it’s 544 more than at this time last week.
42 people are in intensive care – which is the same as yesterday.
Sadly, a further five deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 9,872.
Once again, I send my condolences to everyone who is mourning a loved one.
The surge of cases, driven by the extremely infectious Omicron variant, is continuing here in Scotland, across the UK, and indeed in many other countries around the world.
Here in Scotland over the past week, the total number of new reported cases has increased by 87%.
Tomorrow’s figures will almost certainly see us pass 1 million reported cases since the outset of the pandemic.
However, the rapid and very widespread transmission of Omicron is such that the daily recorded tally of cases – which has always been an underestimate of the true level of infection – now gives us an even less comprehensive indicator of how prevalent the virus is.
The weekly survey published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) gives a better indication. In the week to 23 December, it suggested that one in 40 people in Scotland had COVID.
The results of the most recent ONS survey – published just a few minutes ago – suggest that in the week to 31 December that had risen to one in 20.
The proportion of people with COVID is though likely to be even higher than that now, a few days later – and I would anticipate that we will see continued growth in the level of infection as work and school resume after the holiday period.
In short, COVID is significantly more widespread now than at any stage in the pandemic so far, and will almost certainly become even more so in the days to come.
This, of course, has extremely serious implications for the NHS and social care.
But it also has a severe and increasing impact on the economy and other critical services.
This is primarily due to very high numbers of people off work with COVID – but it is of course compounded by the wider requirements for self isolation.
As I said last week, we have been considering very carefully the risks and benefits of changes to self isolation requirements and I will update on that shortly.
More generally, as I said a moment ago, we are not proposing any new protective measures today.
However, with the virus so prevalent, we do consider it important to continue to apply some brake on transmission, particularly in settings posing the highest risk.
Accordingly, I can confirm that the restrictions on large gatherings, the requirement for distancing between groups of people in public indoor places and for table service in hospitality venues serving alcohol on the premises will remain in force for now and indeed, I expect, until 17 January.
In addition, while this is not a legal requirement, we are continuing to strongly advise the general public to limit contact with people in other households as far as possible, and to limit the number of households in any indoor gathering that does take place to a maximum of three.
After two long years of this pandemic, I know that asking people to cut all social interaction is just not feasible – and it would be damaging of course to mental health and wellbeing.
However, limiting contacts insofar as we can, and thinking carefully about the interactions that matter most to us, is important just now.
It helps stem, at least to some extent, increases in transmission – and so has a collective benefit.
But it also helps protect us as individuals.
When at least one in 20 of us have the virus – as is the case now – the risk of getting it when we mix with others is significant.
So if we limit the occasions on which we do mix, we also reduce our own risk of catching a virus that we know could have a nasty impact on our health.
Trying to stem transmission – at least to some degree – is also important for the NHS which is under increasing pressure.
On the upside, the evidence that Omicron causes less severe illness than previous variants – at least amongst the under 60s, where the virus is most prevalent at the moment – does appear to be strengthening.
Indeed, the fact that the numbers here in intensive care are so far remaining stable while the numbers in hospital generally rises quite sharply, may be indicative of this.
We also know for certain that a booster jag provides strong protection against serious illness for people of all ages.
However, notwithstanding the success of the booster programme and indeed the apparent lower rate of hospitalisation from Omicron, the sheer volume of people becoming infected means more people with COVID are being admitted to hospital.
There is also remaining uncertainty about the impact on hospital admissions if Omicron continues to spread from younger age groups – where the risk of falling seriously ill from COVID has always been lower – to those in older age groups.
As I reported last week, work is also underway to better understand the detail behind the headline hospital numbers.
I can advise Parliament that the first results from analysis to differentiate those who are in hospital because of COVID from those in hospital with COVID but who were admitted for different reasons will be published on Friday.
Work is also being done to assess whether the average length of hospital stay resulting from Omicron is any different to that associated with other variants.
So, in short, our understanding of the precise nature and extent of Omicron’s impact on hospitals and the wider health and social care system is still developing.
However, what is beyond doubt is that it is already having a considerable impact.
The number of people in hospital with COVID has increased from 679 to 1,223 in the last week. That’s a rise of 80%. That is putting significant additional pressure on the NHS.
Indeed, the NHS is now facing increasing pressure on three related fronts.
First, from dealing with non COVID backlogs built up over the course of the pandemic.
Second, many NHS staff are absent and self-isolating either because they have COVID, or are close contacts of people with it.
This means the increasing pressure on the NHS is being managed by a depleted and ever more exhausted workforce. Let me say at this stage we owe each and every one of them an enormous debt of gratitude.
And third, as we keep saying, even with a lower rate of hospitalisation, the sheer volume of cases caused by the much greater transmissibility of Omicron will lead, is leading, to more patients with COVID ending up in hospital.
And, with reference to the analysis that will be published on Friday that I spoke about a moment, it’s important to remember, even if COVID is not the primary reason for someone’s admission to hospital, the fact they have COVID means enhanced infection control measures are required, and that further constrains NHS capacity so exacerbates that pressure.
We continue to support health boards and staff to manage this pressure – this includes working with councils to reduce delayed discharge and targeting additional capacity where possible.
Work is also underway importantly to develop alternative patient pathways for people with COVID, enabling them where possible to remain at home, where appropriate, with appropriate monitoring and advice rather than be admitted to hospital. This work will also help identify at an earlier stage patients likely to benefit from new antiviral treatments.
Of course, we can all help the NHS by taking steps to reduce transmission of the virus as much as possible.
Presiding Officer
While abiding by current guidance and protections is at this stage vitally important, we do know that measures which restrict our lives are not sustainable indefinitely.
And with a variant as infectious as Omicron, the kind of protections that are still possible within our financial resources and without causing greater harm in other ways – while still very important at this stage – won’t control transmission to the same extent as these measures would have done with other less transmissible variants.
So in light of this, coupled with the fact that unfortunately COVID won’t suddenly disappear and that Omicron is unlikely to be the last new variant we encounter, we need to continue to adapt our thinking about how to manage the virus and become more resilient to it in future.
Let me be clear at this stage, this does not, in my view, mean giving up on trying to control COVID completely – the impact of it on individual health and on our collective wellbeing is too significant for that.
But it does mean seeking ways of doing so that are more proportionate, sustainable and less restrictive.
There are no easy answers here, but adapting to the ongoing challenge of COVID is inescapable. The Scottish Government is therefore currently working on and will publish over the next few weeks a revised strategic framework, which will set out more fully how that process of adaptation can be managed with a view to building that greater resilience.
We will seek views from across Parliament as we develop this new framework in more detail. However, the changes I am about to confirm to the requirements on self isolation and testing are an early indication of an already adapting response.
I said last week that it was important to consider carefully changes to self isolation rules.
We wanted to ensure such changes are made only when in the view of clinical advisors, the benefits of them outweigh the risks of them.
I also want to make changes, as far as possible, in a coherent not a piecemeal manner, given the importance of clear public understanding of what is required.
As a result of this consideration, we are now proposing two changes to the self isolation rules, and one change to the requirement for PCR testing. And all of these changes will take effect from midnight tonight.
The first change to self isolation applies to those who test positive for COVID.
While the initial advice when someone tests positive will still be to self-isolate for 10 days, there will now be an option to end isolation after seven days as long as you, firstly, have no fever and, secondly, you record two negative lateral flow tests, one no earlier than day six after testing positive and another at least 24 hours after that.
The second change applies to close contacts of positive cases – and this includes household contacts – who are either under the age of 18 years, four months, or who are older than that and fully vaccinated.
Let me be clear, by fully vaccinated, we mean first, second and booster or third doses.
For close contacts in these categories the requirement to self-isolate will end and be replaced by a requirement to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days. Obviously, if one of these tests is positive, self-isolation will then be required.
Anyone identified as a close contact who is over 18 years and four months and not fully vaccinated will still be asked to self-isolate for 10 days and to take a PCR test.
These changes are significant and they are not completely without risk. However, at this stage of the pandemic they do strike an appropriate balance between the continued importance of self-isolation in breaking chains of transmission, and reducing the disruption self isolation causes in the economy and other critical services.
We are also proposing an important change to the advice on testing. And let me be clear again, this has been very carefully considered.
Scotland, indeed the UK as a whole, has one of the most extensive PCR testing systems anywhere in the world.
However, with infection levels are as high as they are, we must fully utilise all available testing capacity – PCR and lateral flow. And make sure isolation and advice happens as quickly as possible.
For those who have symptoms of COVID, the advice remains to book a PCR test, even if you have a positive lateral flow test.
And of course the advice to everyone is to test regularly with lateral flow devices, especially before meeting up with others.
However, from tomorrow, if your lateral flow test is positive, and you do not have symptoms, you will no longer be required to take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Instead, you must immediately isolate and also report your result online so that Test & Protect can commence the contact tracing process and give you advice as quickly as possible. You will also receive an online form that you must fill in, as would happen with a PCR positive in to ensure your contacts are notified.
Other countries, Canada for example, have already made this change.
It has been made possible because lateral flow tests are now widely available and work well.
Also, and really importantly, the Test & Protect system in Scotland can start contact tracing on the strength of a reported positive lateral flow result as well as a PCR.
And, crucially, at times of very high levels of infection the risk of a false positive lateral flow result is very low indeed – around just three in 10,000.
So the safest thing to do at this stage is treat a positive lateral flow test as confirmation of COVID. Even if you have no symptoms.
This allows us to maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing and advice.
Presiding Officer
There are a few further points I want to briefly touch on today.
Firstly, the current situation continues to take its toll on every one of course, but it continues to take a toll on businesses.
Last week, I confirmed the allocation of more than £200 million of the £375 million in business support we are making available.
Today, I can confirm the allocation of a further £55 million.
Up to £28 million will be allocated to taxi and private hire drivers and operators. £19 million will support services such as beauticians and hairdressers.
£5 million will be provided for sport, and an additional £3 million for tourism.
Local authorities are as we speak working to get money into bank accounts as quickly as possible.
Secondly, in light of the widespread community transmission of Omicron in the UK just now, discussions are taking place today between the four UK governments about possible changes to travel rules, including the requirement for pre-departure testing.
If these discussions result in proposed changes, we will inform parliament as quickly as possible.
My third point relates to education, and the start of the new term.
All secondary school children are being asked to take a lateral flow test on the night before or morning of their first day back, and thereafter to test twice a week and also in advance of mixing socially with people from other households.
Likewise, university and college students should take a test immediately before travelling from home to term-time accommodation, and thereafter test twice a week and before socialising with people from other households.
And staff in all educational and early years settings should take a lateral flow test just before starting back at work, and in line with broader advice after that.
Our priority is to keep schools open and to minimise further disruption to education.
But with community transmission high, I know the next few weeks will be challenging for pupils, staff and parents.
Using lateral flow tests will help. So too will the changes to isolation rules – and updated education guidance reflecting these changes will issue shortly.
We will also work with councils to ensure the guidance issued before Christmas is followed to keep schools not just open but as safe as possible.
Presiding Officer, my final brief update today is on vaccination.
I am immensely grateful to everyone involved in delivering vaccines – and to everyone who has been vaccinated.
By the bells on Hogmanay, around 3 million people – 77% of those eligible – had received their booster or third dose.
If you weren’t one of these people – and you are eligible – please come forward now.
You can arrange an appointment online, or go to a drop-in clinic. There is plenty of capacity and you can get details at NHS Inform or your local health board website.
Getting a booster doesn’t mean we won’t get COVID, although it does reduce the chances of that, but it significantly enhances our protection against serious illness. It could quite literally save your life.
12 to 15 year olds can also now go to drop-in centres to get the second dose.
I encourage everyone in that age group to do so. If you are the parent or carer of someone in that age group, you can go with them to the vaccination centre.
The vaccine programme has been an outstanding success – but there are still many people eligible but not yet vaccinated.
If you are one of them, then for your own sake and indeed for the sake of all of us, please rectify that. It is not too late and no one will judge you for not having done it before now.
On the contrary, you will be welcomed with open arms.
Presiding Officer,This phase of the pandemic is possibly the most challenging we have faced so far.
The most infectious variant so far is creating a volume of cases that, notwithstanding its possibly reduced severity, still has the potential to overwhelm us.
And of course two years in, the kind of measures that have helped us control transmission in past phases are becoming less tolerable and causing more harm.
So while not easy, we do need to continually adapt our ways of managing this virus, and we will do so.
But in the meantime, we must continue to do what we know makes a difference now.
So get fully vaccinated as soon as you can – please do it this week.
Prime Minister reissues call for public to get boosted and announces new critical workforce testing measures
The Prime Minister last night updated the public on the government’s ongoing actions to tackle COVID-19 and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed, including implementing Plan B measures, standing up local Nightingales to create extra capacity, buying more antivirals per person than anywhere else in Europe, significantly increasing testing capacity and rolling out the vital booster programme.
The Prime Minister thanked vaccinators for their enormous dedication over the festive period as well as everyone who came forward for a jab.
He welcomed the success of the Get Boosted Now campaign in delivering 10 million extra boosters across the UK and doubling the rate of vaccination from 450,000 doses a day to a peak of more than 900,000.
Outlining the significant protection offered by the booster jab, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for every eligible person to get their booster – with 2 million appointments available this week alone.
In his statement the Prime Minister also acknowledged the disruption to the workforce caused by the spread of Omicron and set out further measures the government is taking to address this.
He announced the Government will provide 100,000 critical workers in England with free lateral flow tests to help keep essential services and supply chains running.
Critical workers will be able to take a test on every working day and the provision of precautionary testing will be for an initial five weeks.
This will help to isolate asymptomatic cases and limit the risk of outbreaks in workplaces, reducing transmission while covid cases remain high. These critical workers are those who work in essential services, cannot work from home and are at risk of infecting each other – for example, due to working together in an enclosed space.
People covered by the scheme will include those who work in critical national infrastructure, national security, transport, and food distribution and processing. This includes vital roles in Border Force, Police and Fire and Rescue Services control rooms, electricity generation, test kit warehouses and test surge labs.
The full range of critical workers have been identified by the relevant departments and Government will contact these organisations directly on the logistics of the scheme this week.
Roll out will start from Monday 10th January. Tests will be separate from public sectors who already have a testing allocation with UKHSA, such as adult social care or education, and separate to those delivered to pharmacies and homes, so those channels will not be impacted by the new scheme.
The UK Government are now distributing around 600,000 packs of 7 tests on gov.uk directly to homes every day (more than 50% higher than last week).
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on the latest Coronavirus situation in Scotland in a virtual Holyrood session this afternoon at 2pm.
A year ago today, the UK became the first country in the world to administer the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine
Vaccination programme has been a phenomenal success, saving countless lives and reducing pressure on NHS
One year ago today [Tuesday 4 January 2021] the UK became the first country in the world to administer the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Brian Pinker, 82, (above) was the first person to receive the life-saving vaccine outside of clinical trials at Oxford University Hospital at 7.30am.
Since then, around 50 million AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in the UK, saving countless lives, keeping people out of hospital and reducing the pressure on the NHS.
To mark the anniversary, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, will visit a vaccination centre in London to thank hard-working NHS staff and volunteers delivering jabs.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Backed by government funding, the UK-made Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has played an absolutely crucial role in our fight against COVID-19, saving countless lives in the UK and around the world.
“I’m extremely proud of our world-leading researchers and scientists who are responsible for developing some of the most effective vaccines and treatments during the pandemic and the NHS for the incredible roll out.
“The UK’s vaccination and booster programme is world leading but with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it is more important than ever that people come forward for their vaccines and booster to top up your immunity this winter and protect the progress we have made.”
The government invested early in Oxford University’s team, supporting their vaccine technology since 2016 and their COVID-19 jabs since March 2020 with more than £88 million to help research, develop and manufacture the vaccine.
The National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) helped recruit thousands of volunteers from across the UK for the phase 3 clinical trials and supported the researchers, which paved the way for approval by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Around 2.5 billion doses have been distributed at-cost to more than 170 countries. Almost two-thirds of these have gone to low and lower-middle-income countries, including more than 30 million doses donated by the UK through COVAX or bilaterally.
The UK will donate a further 20 million AstraZeneca doses to countries in need this year as part of the government’s commitment to donate 100 million doses overall.
Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said: “The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is a UK success story and demonstrates what can be achieved when researchers, scientists and the government work together.
“The at-cost vaccine has given billions of people around the world a way to fight back against this virus. Please get your vaccines and booster to protect yourself and your families this winter.”
The COVID-19 vaccination programme is the largest in British history and was established at unprecedented speed, with thousands of vaccine centres set up rapidly in England, meaning around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination clinic.
The government’s Vaccine Taskforce secured early access to almost 340 million doses of the most promising vaccine candidates in advance for the entire UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, enabling a rapid deployment once approved by the medicines regulator.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said: “Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of scientists and doctors, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was developed in just a matter of months instead of years, with NHS staff working tirelessly to roll the jabs out to millions across the country.
“The Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine has played a crucial role in the biggest and most successful immunisation programme in NHS history, and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind people again that there are still hundreds of thousands of appointments available for first, second and booster jabs so please come forward and get jabbed.”
The UK led the world on vaccine research, providing results for three of the successful vaccine candidates through huge phase 3 trials for Oxford AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax vaccines. The Novavax trial is the largest ever double blind placebo controlled trial in the UK, recruiting 15,000 participants from 35 research sites in just over two months.
More than 133 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in the UK in just over a year, including around 34 million boosters and third doses, securing vital protection against Omicron.
