Chamber and committees

Following extensive research to determine motivations to vaccinate we launched a mass communication public health marketing campaign ‘Roll up your sleeves’ to promote the roll out of the vaccine programme, on 21 st January. The Roll Up Your Sleeves campaign will run across TV, radio, outdoor, press, PR and social media channels until end March and plans are in place for future phases of the activity to support the younger audiences and encourage vaccine uptake.

The campaign will reach a very large (99.1%) of all adults (4.36m) in Scotland who will see the advertising a minimum of 20.6 times. The campaign signposts the public to a national helpline and to NHS Inform where more further detailed information on the vaccine programme is available and is updated regularly.

The JCVI group has considered evidence and all factors including age, ethnicity occupation and additional vulnerabilities and concluded that rapid vaccine deployment is the most important means to maximise public health benefits against severe outcomes from COVID-19.

The JCVI also recommends a particular focus through communications and outreach on promoting uptake of the vaccination in Phase 2 for those who are in particular minority ethnic communities such as ethnic minorities or travellers and for those who are obese/morbidly obese, and those experiencing socio-economic deprivation.

The Scottish Government is working with faith based, third sector and community groups to reach out to more people from deprived communities to increase the vaccine uptake.

We have put in place financial and practical support to ensure all parts of our community have the knowledge and confidence to participate in this vaccination programme and to remove any practical barriers.

The above mentioned steps will ensure that vaccine information is accessible and culturally appropriate – and delivered by trusted voices such as community leaders.

We are on course to exceed our target of recruiting 250 Community Link Workers across Scotland by the end of the Parliament. As of March 2020 there were 217 Community Link Workers in post, all of whom have played a crucial role in supporting patients during the pandemic and helping those who are shielding.

I refer the member to answer S5W-35127 on 5 March 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to answer S5W-35127 on 5 March 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Health boards are responsible for ensuring venues are accessible and will make appropriate adjustment to ensure that all vaccination sites are accessible to all. Responsibilities are set out in the Equalities Act 2010 and other relevant legislation such as the Social Care ( Self-Directed Support ) Act 2013.

The Scottish Government is working with the voluntary and third sector to set up a centralised volunteer coordination hub to make good use of the locally offered support and in particular for deployment at mass vaccination clinics and to help people who need assistance to access local clinics.

For those who are housebound, there will be domiciliary visits (either by the community nursing team attached to the health centre or a community vaccination team.

Anyone who has been called forward for a vaccine and who would like additional help, should call the Scottish COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline (0800 030 8013).

Local authorities are 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.

We are asking people to attend the appointments they have been allocated if they possibly can. We would encourage people to accept that they may not necessarily be given an appointment at the centre closest to them, as the principle objective is to vaccinate as many people as we possibly can as fast as we can. However, in instances where individuals are unable to travel due to a mobility issue, complex medical need or other we would ask them to phone the national Covid Vaccination Appointment booking number to book an appointment at a more convenient location.

If the nature of the person’s condition means that they cannot travel at all, Service Now should pass that call to the local health board call handlers to arrange a more local solution which would be either at their GP Practice or to be vaccinated in their own home if they are housebound.

Individuals who are unable to leave their own homes will receive their vaccination at home. All Health Boards have included their housebound patients within their delivery models for each priority group.

The Scottish Government is working with the voluntary and third sector to set up a centralised volunteer coordination hub. This will make good use of the locally offered support, in particular for deployment at mass vaccination clinics, and to help people who need assistance to access local clinics.

Vaccinations are taking place differently across Scotland to reflect the needs of local communities. It is NHS Scotland who will confirm local arrangements and who will invite the eligible cohort by letter to receive a COVID-19 vaccine

Furthermore, members of public can phone the Coronavirus Vaccination Helpline on 0800 0308013 (available 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week).

More general information about the coronavirus vaccine and its delivery is also available at NHS Inform

Advice on how to minimise wasted doses of vaccine, including having a reserve list of priority and high-risk patients, has been provided to Health Boards.