Covid Scotland: Has the Scottish Government hit its vaccine targets?

The Scottish Government has been accused by opposition parties of failing to hit key targets in the Covid vaccination rollout.

But Nicola Sturgeon has labelled these claims “childish politics” and insisted the targets have been met.

So what are the Covid vaccine targets and have they been reached or not?

A string of dates were announced in June.

Photo dated 21/06/21 of First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon receiving her second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. PA Media

All over 18s were to be offered a vaccine by June 27, then they were to have been given one by July 18.

All 40 to 49-year-olds were to have been given a second dose by July 26.

By August 20, all 30 to 39-year-olds should have a second dose, and by September 12 all adults should have been given two doses.

It is difficult to verify who has been offered a vaccine as these figures are not published.

This caused controversy on April 12 when Ms Sturgeon claimed to have “effectively” offered a vaccine to all over-50s and everyone with underlying health conditions, while more than 100,000 people in these groups had not yet been given a first dose.

But the target to offer a vaccine to all over-18s by June 27 likely did not have this problem, as self-registration and drop-in centres are now available.

The milestone that followed it, of actually delivering a vaccine to all adults, has definitely not been reached.

Just 72 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds have had a first vaccine dose, not even the 80 per cent Ms Sturgeon has previously labelled satisfactory coverage of an entire cohort.

It is also clear not all 40 to 49-year-olds have been given a second dose – the figure is 77 per cent, according to Public Health Scotland, meaning some 158,000 people have had a first dose, but not a second.

Ms Sturgeon said on Monday the target was to “offer” all 40 to 49-year olds a second dose, rather than to deliver it.

Health secretary Humza Yousaf said the true figure is 91 per cent, as that is the percentage of over-40s who have been given two doses.

What Ms Sturgeon said to MSPs in June was: “By 26 July, we expect to have given second doses to all 40 to 49-year-olds.”

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