Question reference: S5W-32352
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 7 October 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, whether it will be offered to everyone in Scotland and, if not, what percentage of the population will be offered it, and what criteria will be used to determine who is offered it.
Answer
Access to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination is dependent on success in at least one of over 200 vaccine trials underway worldwide. When a vaccine might become available in Scotland, and how it might be prioritised and delivered, will depend in part on which vaccine candidates are successful.
While there is no guarantee of success in any of the trials, we are planning on the basis of vaccines becoming available. In Scotland we already routinely deliver nearly 2 million doses of vaccine each year and we have a comprehensive vaccine delivery infrastructure in place. We are working on a plan to upscale this to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine, in the event that a safe and effective vaccine does become available, and we have established the Flu Vaccines and COVID-19 Vaccinations Programme Board to oversee this work.
Eligibility and prioritisation decisions will be based on clinical evidence and advice. We will be guided by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) which provides independent advice on immunisation, including on the efficacy and safety of vaccines and on the priority groups to be vaccinated.
On 23rd October, the First Minister published " COVID-19: Our strategic approach" , which provides an update on the work which has been done and is ongoing to prepare for a COVID-19 vaccination programme, should a safe and effective vaccine become available.