THE Scottish Government has ordered Glasgow health bosses to prioritise the flu vaccine in order of oldest to young, following an investigation by the Herald.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has made it “very clear” to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) that it was “not acceptable” for the most elderly in the population to wait longest for the winter flu jag.
He added: “We understand that following our intervention, GGC are now taking action to address this and that patients will now be prioritised from oldest to youngest, going forward, with all patients sent details of their appointment.”
However, it is unclear that this is the plan now being outlined by the health board.
In a statement last night, NHS GGC said it was “very aware of concerns” amongst older members of the community in particular who had not yet received a date for their flu jag.
The health board says it has taken “swift action to speed up the distribution of letters” and that everyone over 65 will receive their appointment letters before the end of October.
READ MORE: Public health experts urges rethink in areas giving flu vaccine to oldest last
A spokesman added that capacity has also been increased at flu vaccination hubs in the region “so that those eligible, and in particular, those in the 75-plus age group can have the opportunity to be vaccinated sooner".
It comes after the Herald revealed last week that winter flu vaccinations for the over-65s were being rolled out from youngest to oldest in some health board areas, including NHS GGC and Lanarkshire.
Charity Age Scotland warned that it “made no sense” to offer the vaccination to people in their 60s first while those in their 80s and 90s - who are most at risk of deadly complications from the infection - waited weeks longer than normal, with some told they would not be seen before the end of November.
The scheme was dubbed an “absolute shambles” by one Glasgow GP and a “recipe for disaster” by Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman.
This is the first year that health boards have taken over responsibility for immunisations, which were previously handled by GPs.
Protecting the elderly and at-risk groups from flu is particularly important this winter due to the threat posed by Covid.
Research has shown that patients who catch Covid and flu together were twice as likely to die compared to those with Covid alone.
NHS GGC opted use the Scottish Immunisation Recall System (SIRS) originally designed for childhood vaccinations to determine the order that appointments were issued to eligible patients in the region.
As childhood vaccinations prioritise infants first, however, it meant that invitations for the flu vaccine started with 65-year-olds before working up through people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.
READ MORE: Rollout of flu vaccine dubbed 'absolute shambles'
In a statement, the Scottish Government said this was "not acceptable".
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "The Health Secretary has been very clear that it was not acceptable to have a scheduling system for the flu vaccine that did not prioritise older patients in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
"Ministers are closely monitoring the situation, and are in regular discussion with the board to ensure that those at the greatest clinical risk from seasonal flu are able to receive their vaccination in advance of the flu season.
"We understand that following our intervention, Greater Glasgow and Clyde are now taking action to address this and that patients will now be prioritised from oldest to youngest, going forward, with all patients sent details of their appointment."
READ MORE: The real reason flu vaccines are being delivered differently this year - and it predates Covid
In a statement, NHS GGC said: “While everyone will be immunised in time for the flu virus starting to circulate we are very aware of concerns amongst particularly older members of our communities if they have not yet had an appointment date.
"We have taken swift action to speed up the distribution of letters, so that all those remaining will now to be sent by National Services Scotland before the end of October."
It added: “In addition, we have increased capacity at several of our vaccination centres in the region so that those eligible, and in particular, those in the 75-plus age group can have the opportunity to be vaccinated sooner.”
The health board said it is also working to provide jags locally at community pharmacies for individuals who may struggle to reach vaccination hubs on public transport.
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