Question reference: S5W-34694
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 20 January 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 February 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether older people who are hospital inpatients will be vaccinated against COVD-19 while in hospital to avoid missing a local appointment that might have been scheduled to take place during the time of their hospital stay.
Answer
The Chief Medical Officer advises that short-stay hospital patients, should be only vaccinated once they have recovered, so any side effects are not confused with symptoms of the disease they were admitted to hospital for.
This is a standard in the Green Book for all vaccines and applied across all UK countries. However, these decisions will be made by clinicians, taking into account a range of factors.”
Furthermore, It’s important to note that vaccinating people as soon as they enter hospital will not immediately prevent COVID-19 infection or disease, as it takes 2-3 weeks for an immune response to develop from vaccination.
Further information about the Covid-19 vaccine and delivery can also be accessed here: NHS inform - Scottish health information you can trust | NHS inform