Covid vaccine: Scottish government must act urgently to get supplies to GPs – Scotsman comment

There is no more pressing issue in Scotland, or indeed anywhere in the world, than the mass vaccination of the population against the virus that causes Covid-19.

A dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is drawn into a syringe (Picture: Jacob King/PA Wire)

Given the number of deaths, the lasting effects of “Long Covid”, the devastating economic damage, the loneliness and isolation of many during lockdown, and the disruption caused to our way of life, that should not need to be said.

So it is extremely disappointing to hear that GPs are having to appeal for vaccines while hundreds of thousands of doses are sitting in storage.

Dr Andrew Buist, of BMA Scotland, told the BBC that it was “so incredibly frustrating when the patients want the vaccine, we're very keen to give it to our patients but we just don't have the vaccine in our fridge”.

Currently GPs must place orders for the vaccine with their local health boards, but the BMA has now asked the Scottish government to allow them to order supplies directly in order to speed up the process.

Some practices have not yet received any doses at all, despite Nicola Sturgeon’s stated intention to vaccinate everyone over the age of 80 by the first week in February.

So there seems to be a straightforward logistical problem of getting vaccines from A to B. Now that it has been identified, the challenge for the Scottish government and health boards is to find a more efficient way to deliver the supplies.

We recognise the government has much work to do to reduce the spread of the virus, support businesses that need help, and ensure the NHS has the resources it needs and is not overwhelmed.

This is all necessary as we try to manage this crisis, but vaccination offers the best way to end it or at least restore life to near normality. And we are all desperate for that to happen.

Calling for the Army’s help is often a stock solution to all manner of problems, but they are world-leading experts in logistics and are already involved in setting up mass vaccination centres in Scotland. Could they help break whatever logjam is holding up deliveries?

As scientists have pointed out, it is not a vaccine that can save us from this virus but vaccination. And that must be done as quickly and effectively as possible.

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