Coronavirus (COVID-19): Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues - evidence on children, schools, early learning and childcare settings and transmission- summary report

Vaccination

The COVID-19 vaccination programme has been rolled out in Scotland since December 2020, in line with JCVI guidance on priority groups. From July 2021, all individuals over 18 years have become eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Under certain conditions, individuals aged 16 and 17 years can also receive the vaccine,  and most recently JCVI has advised the roll-out of first doses to all 16 and 17 year olds. 

In the context of the Delta VOC, vaccines continue to be effective in reducing symptomatic disease and protecting against severe disease   . Protection against Delta is a little lower than against Alpha after a single dose,  but this is much less marked after the full dose schedule. Protection against hospitalisation provided by completion of the full dose schedule is similar for both the Alpha and Delta VOCs (over 90%).

As of 19 July 2021, 89.2% of all adults over the age of 18 have received at least one dose and 67.0% have received both doses of the vaccine. Almost all individuals over the age of 55 years have received both doses of the vaccine. In the 18 to 29-year age group, 69.4% have had one dose and 20.4% have completed both doses. 

It is estimated  that around 85% of teachers who have taken up the offer of a first dose of vaccination will have been offered both doses of the vaccine and therefore should have developed a second dose response by 16 August 2021 (79% of the teacher population in Scotland), and this will increase to 90% by 23 August (85% of the teacher population). Furthermore, it is estimated that around 85% of the school workforce will have received both doses of the vaccine by mid-August. Due to recent activity to accelerate vaccine take-up, almost all staff will have had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated (and 14 days having elapsed to provide increased protection) by 26 September, around six weeks into the new academic year for the majority of local authority areas.  This timeline of near-complete vaccination of over 18 year olds by late September also indicates widespread protection of adults in other education and learning settings, including universities and colleges, training providers etc.