Under 60s to begin receiving vaccination invitations

Invitations to coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination appointments will start to be issued this week for people aged 50-59, who were not included in previous priority groups.

Vacinations to those aged between 55 and 59 years old (group 8 on the priority list) will begin week beginning 15 March, with those aged 50-54 (group 9 on the priority list) starting to receive their injections the week after that.

Over the next few weeks the volume of vaccine available to Scotland is expected to increase and provided these supplies arrive, the vaccination infrastructure in Scotland is ready to deliver around 400,000 vaccines a week from the end of the March.

The national vaccination programme is currently moving through group 6 on the priority list which includes those with particular underlying health conditions and unpaid carers. Next week a self-referral online service will launch to enable any eligible unpaid carers who have not received an invitation to register themselves.

In addition, 148,026 people (43%) in group seven – those aged 60-64 - have received their first dose.  

Heath Secretary Jeane Freeman said:

“I am delighted that Scotland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is now able to move to the final stages of vaccinating the first nine priority groups before progressing to people aged under 50.

“We have always said delivery of the vaccination programme is subject to supply and on that basis I am confident we remain on target to offer a first vaccination to all those in the phase 1 priority groups by the middle of April and the remainder of the adult population by the end of July.

“The roll-out continues to deliver at pace, which is down to the enormous efforts of our vaccination teams. I would like to thank everyone who is working tirelessly to make this a success.

“When you are offered the vaccine please take up the invitation. The vaccination programme is one of three key ways we are working to beat this virus, along with our expanded testing programme to identify cases and break chains of transmission and the important lockdown restrictions everyone in Scotland must follow. All these measures work to greatest effect when they work together.”