Shadow Health Secretary Donald Cameron has called for weekly data to be published on how many people have received the Covid vaccine in each health board area, including NHS Highland.
The Highlands and Islands MSP has requested that the government set benchmarks of how many people will be tested this week and publish the data every seven days, just as they do with the flu jab uptake and testing of care home staff.
The government has still not published the vaccine plan reviewed at Cabinet last Tuesday, and questions have gone unanswered on freezers and storage, logistics, staffing, vaccination locations and the long-term plans for vaccinating the wider population. The think tank, Our Scottish Future, yesterday raised concerns that another flu jab shambles was possible and the SNP were “behind the curve” on their long-term plans for vaccine delivery.
Mr Cameron said: “I believe it’s vital that the SNP tell us how many people will be vaccinated this week and commit to publishing that information on a regular basis."
“We need this local weekly data to spot problems in the rollout immediately and prevent either a postcode lottery or the shambles that we saw with the flu jag rollout earlier this year."
“I am particularly anxious that the information is made available at Health Board level so we can be sure that regions like the Highlands and Islands are not being left behind."
“And we must know, as soon as possible, when and where care home residents can expect to start receiving their jags."
“There is a pressing need for the government to reveal their plans. Drip-feeding a few details at press conferences is not good enough.”
