Health boards have begun rolling out second doses of coronavirus vaccines to staff and residents in care homes.
Those who received a first jab in December are now enterging the period where a booster can be applied, improving the body's chances of fighting off the virus.
However, limitations around supplies on a national level - which have been expected due to work being carried out at Pfizer's manufacturing plant - have caused a "throttling back" of the overall programme.
READ MORE: Milestone reached as more than one million Scots receive first vaccine dose
Dumfries and Galloway Health Board and Lanarkshire Health Boards are among those who have been supplying second doses of vaccines to care homes.
Dumfries and Galloway Interim Director of Public Health Valerie White said: “An initial, single COVID-19 vaccination will start to train the body’s natural defences to combat the coronavirus -providing a degree of protection.
“However, it’s really important that everybody also receives their second dose, as a second vaccination increases that protection further and helps ensure that defence lasts over a longer period.
“As ever, though, it takes time for the effects of the vaccination to work, and despite the really encouraging results we’ve seen nationally with lowered hospitalisations these vaccines do not guarantee full immunity."
Ms White added: “While taking up the chance of a vaccination helps moves us towards something more like normal life, it’s vital that everyone continues to follow the national rules and immediately self-isolates along with their household and arranges to be tested if they experience any symptoms.”
As at Tuesday 23rd February, a total of 56,311 first dose vaccinations had been delivered in Dumfries and Galloway.
The vaccination programme continues apace
The first health board in Scotland to vaccinate care home residents against Covid-19, NHS Lanarkshire has vaccinated more than 3,000 residents with the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and has now started on rhe second phase.
READ MORE: Latest data shows quarter of population has had vaccine
Trudi Marshall, Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire nurse director, who is managing the care home vaccination programme across the whole of Lanarkshire, said: “Care home residents are amongst our most vulnerable residents so I know it will be greatly reassuring to residents and their loved ones that we are now administering the vaccine’s second dose.
“This second dose for our most vulnerable residents is another important step to further protecting them. The public vaccination programme is also making good progress."
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