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Publication - Advice and guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for people who were on the Highest Risk List

Last updated
10 November 2023 - see all updates
Directorate
Safer Communities Directorate
Topic
Communities and third sector, Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland, Health and social care, +1 more … Public safety and emergencies

Advice to help people who were on the Highest Risk List make informed decisions and access support services.

Research about people at highest risk

Find links to research and data relating to people at highest risk below.

Public Health Scotland COVID-19 Shielding Programme (Scotland) Impact and Experience Survey, 30 March 2022

This survey asked about people’s experiences of being on the Highest Risk List following the pause in shielding.

Read the findings from the survey on the Public Health Scotland website.

Highest risk interviews report, 5 October 2021

In August 2021 we carried out phone interviews with people on the highest risk list. We asked participants a range of questions around their experiences of the pandemic and the highest risk list. These included questions around changing restrictions and the vaccination programme. We also asked about their feelings around returning to the workplace, the future of the highest risk list, and their trusted information sources. Read the report about the findings from the interviews.

Highest risk survey report, August 2021

In July 2021 we carried out an online survey of people on the highest risk list. There were over 4,600 participants. The survey asked about participants’ Covid-related views and actions. Read the report about the survey results.

Shielding survey results, 22 February 2021

In December 2020 and January 2021 we carried out a survey among people at highest risk (then known as the shielding list) in Scotland. It explored areas such as: the impact of services and support provided by the Scottish Government's Shielding Division, the vaccination programme, and the effects of pausing shielding in Scotland. Read the shielding survey results.

Vitamin D take-up by the highest risk group - data summary, 16 February 2021

We offered people in the highest risk group a free 4-month supply of vitamin D in November 2020. We have published a summary of data showing the overall take-up rate of this offer, and the take-up rate across different groups of people. Read the vitamin D data summary.

Public Health Scotland's shielding report, 27 January 2021

Public Health Scotland published a report with statistics and evidence about shielding during the first wave of coronavirus. It looks at how well shielding worked, and how many people followed the shielding advice. The report also reviews the support offered to people on the shielding list during the first wave of the pandemic. Read the report on the Public Health Scotland website. You can also watch a short video with key information from the report on the Public Health Scotland YouTube channel.

 

First published
23 February 2021
Last updated
10 November 2023 - show all updates

  1. Updates to winter vaccination programme.

  2. Updates made to the spring booster vaccination programme.

  3. Updates made to overview page to reflect spring booster vaccination programme. Guidance for immunosuppressed people changed to guidance for people with a weakened immune system and content amended accordingly.

  4. Update to overview and guidance section for people who remain at higher risk because of a suppressed immune system.

  5. Added further details about vaccinations and amended immunosuppressed information on testing and safety measures.

  6. Updated information on lateral flow tests to reflect current information.

  7. Winter flu vaccine information added.

  8. Updates to Overview, Mental health support and Guidance for immunosuppressed people.

  9. Add Spring/Summer Booster updates.

  10. Added link to impact assessment on ending Highest Risk List from overview text.

  11. Updated and removed pages in light of Highest Risk List ending.

  12. Updates to financial support and advice on working pages.

  13. Updated to reflect latest position.

  14. Updates to Overview, Shopping and Financial support.

  15. Updates to Overview, Shopping, Advice on Working made. Guidance for immunosuppressed people and people previously at highest risk added.

  16. Advice on working and shopping pages updated.

  17. Update text on highest risk group research.

  18. Updates to Overview, Shopping and Financial support. Removed Health and wellbeing, SMS shielding service, Prescriptions, Medical appointments, Letters to the highest risk group and Contacts.

  19. Updates to Highest risk list.

  20. Advice on working page updated to reflect recent changes in work guidance.

  21. Added Distance Aware badge header to Overview.

  22. Overview page updated.

  23. Advice on working page updated

  24. Added Supporting your return to work section on Advice on working page and categorised content into an accordion.

  25. Changed Workplace safety advice to Advice on working, alongside changes to text.

  26. Amended text on Overview.

  27. Highest risk group research page updated.

  28. Minor amendments to overview page.

  29. Highest risk group page updated.

  30. Workplace safety advice and contacts page updated.

  31. updated to reflect latest position.

  32. URL changed from: www.gov.scot/publications/covid-shielding to www.gov.scot/publications/covid-highest-risk/

  33. Number of changes including updates to wording from 'shielding' to 'people at highest risk'

  34. Workplace safety advice page updated.

  35. Workplace safety advice page updated.

  36. Food and other essentials page updated to reflect latest position.

  37. Minor textual change made to section on workplace safety advice.

  38. Added new section on workplace safety advice.

  39. Levels page updated to reflect latest position for school, college or formal childcare.

  40. Updated to reflect move out of lockdown.

  41. Additional levels advice added.

  42. Shielding extra advice table added as a PDF attachment.

  43. Research about shielding page added.

  44. Update to highest risk classification page adding liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B and C) to relevant section.

  45. Update to prescriptions page.

  46. Highest risk group page updated to reflect latest position.

  47. Updated to add further information about getting to your vaccination appointment to the overview page.

  48. Updated the content to include information about vaccines and staying safe during lockdown.

  49. Pages updated to reflect latest position.

  50. Shielding letters page added

  51. Update to SMS shielding service page to add that people will never be asked for personal or banking details by text.

  52. Updated to reflect latest changes in guidance. Some sections redirected to current advice on http://www.mygov.scot/shielding

  53. Updated to reflect latest changes in guidance.

  54. Updated to reflect latest changes in guidance.

  55. Daily activities attachment updated.

  56. Staying safe with daily activities updated

  57. Updated to reflect additional support that is available.

  58. Staying safe guide updated to reflect changes on meeting others.

  59. Updates made to overview, current advice, highest risk group, children and young people, seeing friends and family, daily activities and health and wellbeing pages.

  60. Updated to to include current advice and the SMS Shielding Service contact information

  61. Add information note to overview page to reference latest restrictions on Aberdeen City.

  62. Updated to reflect that shielding has paused.

  63. Updated to include the Staying Safe with Daily Activities Guide

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