Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government greatly values the need for adhering to commercial sensitivity on this area of public policy.

All information on supply volumes – except data that is currently published – is commercially sensitive. There was agreement between Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy( BEIS) and the Scottish Government on specific pieces of information that could be published.

See Daily Data under Vaccinations:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-daily-data-for-scotland/

Total doses allocated and doses delivered are published once weekly. Received = administered data which is published daily.

The definitions of allocated and delivered are included under the published figures and should be included. A key reason for the difference between allocated and delivered volumes is that a proportion of stock is held centrally until it is required at Health Board level.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-00019 on‎ 26 May 2021. The answer is available on the Parliament's website at: Official Report - Parliamentary Business : Scottish Parliament

Additional funding of £1.08 billion has been announced for health and care for 2021-22, to support the response to the pandemic, with £120 million allocated to ensure the delivery of our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan and £60 million invested in waiting times recovery.

Remaining funds will be aligned to need and spending profiles as these crystallise over the course of the year, to ensure the required funding for major programmes of work such as PPE, Test and Protect and vaccinations, and for our frontline services in their response to the pandemic. This will be informed by remobilisation plans and spending assessments for 2021-22 that are currently being developed by Boards and Integration Authorities, to ensure that the required Covid funding is allocated to support local plans and needs.

NHS Scotland Heath Boards are responsible for the local delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine. As such, health boards are responsible for making decisions regarding local delivery in line with the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance. This includes how to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to NHS and social care staff.

The JCVI has published advice on priority groups for the COVID-19 vaccinations based on the emerging evidence. This indicated that the first priority will be older people, those at additional risk from COVID-19 and health and social care workers.

365,210 health and social care workers have received their first dose as of 3 May 2021. NHS Scotland Health Boards developed their own phase 1 delivery model and plan to include how to deliver the vaccine to NHS staff and social care staff. These included plans to deliver the vaccine to staff in their workplace where possible, through Occupational Health, on-site peer to peer assistance, hospital clinics, walkthrough clinics and community pharmacies. All steps were taken to ensure NHS and social care staff were vaccinated as quickly as possible in line with JCVI guidance.

In Scotland, we already deliver nearly two million doses of vaccine routinely every year and we have a comprehensive delivery infrastructure in place. Our Flu Vaccination and Covid-19 Vaccine programme board has a national delivery framework to support deployment plans from each Health Board.

Digital infrastructure used for flu, such as the NHS Inform and Public Health Scotland websites have been utilised as information resources and a Covid-19 Vaccination Helpline has been set up for people who wish to seek information on Covid-19 vaccinations.

Working closely with our Health Boards, Public Health Scotland and NHS National

Services Scotland, we have developed a national digital solution to capture vaccine administration data and an innovative digital online appointment system within a matter of months.

NHS Scotland Heath Boards are responsible for the local delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine. As such, health boards along with GPs are responsible for making decisions regarding local delivery in line with the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance.

In Scotland, we already deliver nearly two million doses of vaccine routinely every year and we have a comprehensive delivery infrastructure in place. Our Flu Vaccination and COVID-19 Vaccine programme board has a national delivery framework to support deployment plans from each Health Board. This includes logistics such as who delivers the vaccination and how it is stored.

Clinical advice indicates that overall levels of seasonal flu circulating are very low, and therefore associated risks are lower than in previous years. Given the prevalence of COVID-19 across Scotland, delivery for the COVID -19 vaccination programme is being taken forward by Health Boards. The workforce will be pivoted and resources redirected to the planning and delivery the COVID -19 vaccination programme.

The COVID-19 vaccination programme builds on pre-existing arrangements for vaccination delivery in Scotland. This includes use of pre-existing vaccination holding and delivery locations, cold-chain and delivery arrangements and staff resource.

In the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, in cohorts 3-5, some boards have used the same infrastructure as the delivery of their annual flu programme, particularly the ones who opted for a GP delivery model.

Moving forward to larger cohorts, it will be harder for boards to sustain the same delivery model as the flu vaccination programme due to the larger populations needing to be vaccinated and balancing second dose appointments. Consideration also needs to be given to make the programme as inclusive as possible and tailor delivery models for harder to reach communities. We are working with health boards to develop plans for future cohorts.

Regardless of delivery models, lessons learned from previous vaccination programmes are always taken into consideration when planning new programmes.

The COVID-19 vaccination programme builds upon, and extends, infrastructure used for flu vaccinations. Workforces, such as vaccinators, support and administrative staff, are being deployed on the programme. GP practices are contributing to the programme and other facilities like town halls and football stadiums have been utilised for COVID-19 vaccinations via health board teams. Digital infrastructure used for flu, such as the NHS Inform and Public Health Scotland websites will also be utilised as information resources for people who wish to seek information on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Effective provision of Covid-19 Vaccination to the citizens of Scotland regardless of geographical location is a key aim of our vaccination programme, and the Scottish Government is working with Health Boards to ensure this happens.

Vaccine doses are being allocated to local Health Boards on an equitable basis, recognising the different population share and geography. Working closely with our Health Boards, Public Health Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland, we have deployed mobile vaccination units to help reach some of our most rural areas.

Local authorities are also working in partnership with Health Boards to provide information on travel to vaccination centres including the provision of community transport if appropriate. In remote and rural areas, local authorities are supporting transportation and in some places mobile vaccination facilities are being used to reach people.

The following table contains details of spending on the promotion of Seasonal Flu Vaccination Programme:

This is the largest flu immunisation programme ever delivered in Scotland, with a planning assumption of 2.4 million people offered the vaccine –almost double the last flu season 2020-21 uptake.

People in Phase 1 groups – those aged 65 and over, those under 65 with increased clinical risk, health and social care workers, and household members of those shielding have been eligible since the start of October 2020, and they will remain eligible throughout flu season.

Phase 2 commenced in December with those aged 60-64 being administered their free flu vaccination.

The timing between being invited and booking an appointment for flu vaccination varies depending on the method of booking and the form of contact.

The Scottish Government procured sufficient vaccine to vaccinate all those who have been invited to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Everyone who was eligible will have received an appointment for their vaccination. The flu vaccination has been delivered in a phased approach, prioritising those at greatest clinical risk.

Each year, at the end of every flu season, Public Health England publishes overviews of influenza surveillance results in the UK, from the winter period. This season’s report is yet to be published. However you can access last year’s report on the link below.

Surveillance of influenza and respiratory viruses, UK: Winter Winter 2019 to 2020 (publishing.service.gov.uk)