CARE home residents locally are rolling up their sleeves for the lastest round of Covid-19 vaccinations.
The push to vaccinate the region’s care home residents and staff began last Monday.
And now other eligible recipients, including health and social care staff, are being advised to get ready for their vaccinations.
This year’s vaccination programme against flu and Covid-19 vaccinations are following the same approach as programmes last year. Director of public health Valerie White said: “We’ve seen a great start to this flu and covid vaccination programme – which is a highly important one as we head towards the winter period.
“This year we have the first bivalent covid vaccines, which protect not just against the original strain but the Omicron variant, which is causing most cases of Covid-19 today. It’s very important that everyone eligible boosts their defences to help protect themselves, their loved ones, our communities and vital services.”
The next stage, over a two-week period, is to vaccinate staff in the NHS, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s social care team, and other care providers across the region. Later this month, vaccinations will begin for older people and those with health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable.
Public health consultant Dr Nigel Calvert said: “People in Dumfries and Galloway have already been very supportive of Covid-19 vaccination.
“The region has one of the highest Covid-19 vaccination rates in the entire country, and almost 80 per cent of people have already had three doses – that’s something we should all be very proud of, and it has had a huge effect in keeping people in Dumfries and Galloway safe and reducing the seriousness of illness.”
Flu vaccinations within schools starts on September 26, while the co-administration of flu and Covid-19 vaccinations for those aged 65 and 69 begins on October 17.
The final cohort is those aged 50 to 64, and their vaccinations will begin on or before December 1.
