Nicola Sturgeon has issued a plea for a decision to be made “very, very soon” on vaccinating all 12 to 17-year-olds so Scotland can “get on” with it.
The first minister was speaking at an unscheduled coronavirus briefing on Friday as more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases were reported, the highest daily increase ever in Scotland.
Concerns have been raised that the situation is likely to deteriorate further among younger age groups in the coming weeks after pupils returned to Scotland’s schools.
Experts on the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are considering their recommendation on vaccinations for children over 12-years-old, having said earlier this month that 16 and 17-year-olds should be given a first dose.
Health services in England are reported to have been told to prepare for a change next month, but Scotland’s school pupils return earlier than their counterparts south of the border.
Ms Sturgeon said it “wouldn’t even be right for me to sound as if I was trying to tell the JCVI what to do”, but urged the advisory panel to make a decision quickly.
“They are the experts. I am a politician, but one trying to take the best decisions to keep the country safe,” the first minister said.
“I’ve said before, and I will say again today, that I really hope that the JCVI feels that the evidence allows them – very, very soon – to recommend vaccination for all 12 to 17-year-olds.
“Scottish schools go back earlier than schools in the rest of the UK and I would have ideally liked that to have been the case before our schools went back, but the sooner we get to that point, if the JCVI feel the evidence allows them to make that recommendation, I hope they do that quickly.”
Ms Sturgeon highlighted the vaccination of children being carried out in other countries, which include the US, Canada, France and the Netherlands.
Assuming we’ve got advice saying that it is safe to do, I would really like to get on with vaccinating 12 to 17-year-olds as quickly as we possibly can.”
“I would simply point out, and again the JCVI have to look at the advice, there are many countries across the world who are already vaccinating 12 to 17-year-olds,” she said.
“Clearly, there are expert groups there who think this is a safe thing to do, so I suppose if I was making a plea to the JCVI – it’s not for me to tell them what decision to make, they’ve got to do that on the basis of the evidence – but please make it quickly.
“Because, assuming we’ve got advice saying that it is safe to do, I would really like to get on with vaccinating 12 to 17-year-olds as quickly as we possibly can.”
Professor Jason Leitch, the national clinical director, added: “We are ready for when that advice comes. The vaccination programme is ready to go.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “The first minister is right to raise the need to look urgently at the vaccination of 12 to 17-year olds and how that can be done in Scotland as has happened elsewhere.
“But Scottish Labour have spoken in the past about the need to replicate international best practice looking to cut the time between doses to ensure the widest possible protection before winter pressures pile on our health service.
“This is being done in Northern Ireland and elsewhere and needs proper examination.”