Scottish Government investigating after healthy people under 40 offered Covid-19 vaccine

Handout photo issued by Scottish Government showing Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith. speaking at a coronavirus briefing at St Andrews House in Edinburgh.Handout photo issued by Scottish Government showing Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith. speaking at a coronavirus briefing at St Andrews House in Edinburgh.
Handout photo issued by Scottish Government showing Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith. speaking at a coronavirus briefing at St Andrews House in Edinburgh.
The Scottish Government has launched an investigation after a number of people under 40 with no underlying health condition were offered Covid-19 vaccination appointments for no obvious reason.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said the Scottish Government is aware of the issue, which is centred around Glasgow and Ayrshire.

He said those who believe they have been given an appointment in error should contact the national vaccine helpline to ask for advice.

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Asked in the coronavirus daily briefing on Monday about Scots in their 20s and 30s with no underlying health conditions who had been given appointments, he said a “few people” may have received invitations for vaccination appointments which they “don’t understand”.

"We are aware that there are some people within the Glasgow area and perhaps also in the Ayrshire area just know who have invites and they don’t understand why they have received them just now,” he said.

"We're investigating as to why that is the case, it’s possible that it’s due to coding anomalies in their record.

"These are a very small number of cases, and my advice to you is if you receive one of these invites and you don't quite understand why you've received the invite, then perhaps call the vaccine helpline.”

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Dr Smith said authorities are examining why those people have been invited, and suggested the cause could be inaccuracies in the medical records held with their GP.

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He reassured those younger Scots who had received a premature appointment that they would “not be disadvantaged” and that if they refuse an invitation they believe has been made in error, they will not be refused a vaccine later on.

“Let me tell people just now that they will not be disadvantaged if they do not go for their vaccination appointment at this point in time, it won't mean that they won't be able to access it in the future if it is the case that it has simply been called prematurely,” he said.

"We will make sure that we take their details so that we can make sure that they are put back into the programme to be called at the appropriate time.”

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