First COVID vaccines completed in all 76 Fife care homes

NHS Fife has confirmed that around 5000 vaccinations have been carried out among care home residents and staff. They were amongst the first to be prioritised for immunisation.

A further 7100 healthcare staff have also been vaccinated as part of the efforts to maintain critical NHS services over the extremely busy winter period.

Dona Milne, director of public health, welcomed the “significant strides” to protect the most vulnerable people in the region.

She added: “While this is really encouraging, it is vital that we do not become complacent.

“We know that the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities has increased and we need local people to continue to follow the public health measures in place if we are to supress the virus and reduce the numbers becoming seriously unwell with COVID-19.”

Fife residents aged 80 and above are the next priority group to begin vaccination, as set out in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance.

All 54 GP practices in Fife will be participating in the COVID-19 vaccination programme, with most beginning to book appointments this week.

Patients aged 80 and over will be contacted by their local GP practice by letter or telephone as a vaccine becomes available to them.

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Those aged 75-79 will be in the next priority group to begin vaccination, followed by those aged 70-74 and people considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable.

Broad timelines for vaccination will be confirmed in the coming days.

Given the significant scale of the vaccination programme, patients are asked not to contact their local GP practice for updates to ensure phone lines remain available to those requiring urgent assessment.

Scott Garden, NHS Fife’s director of pharmacy and medicines, added: “We recognise that many people are incredibly keen to get vaccinated and we are asking for continued patience over the coming days and weeks as the community vaccination programme rolls out.

“Healthcare staff are working incredibly hard to vaccinate local people as quickly as vaccine supply allows and we will get to all of those who are eligible and who wish to be vaccinated in the coming weeks.”

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