A CALL for patience is being made as appointments start going out for 40 to 49-year olds in the region to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
Letters are starting to be issued now, and over the next two weeks, with an assurance that everyone in this age category will have been offered a vaccination appointment before the end of May.
The national and local plan is to have offered a first dose vaccination to all eligible over 16s by 31 July.
Valerie White, Interim Director of Public Health in Dumfries and Galloway, said: “We’re extremely grateful for everyone’s response to the COVID vaccination programme, and how well people have been working with us to ensure a roll-out that’s as swift and safe as possible.
“Our vaccination team have worked to ensure that we can maximise our allocations of COVID vaccines, and that has resulted in over 70 per cent of all adults having received their first, and 47.2 per cent having received both.
“Because we have more older people per head than many other parts of the country, we’ve already vaccinated the vast majority of our population – who are among those most at risk from the coronavirus.
“And as national vaccine supplies are now coming online, this will allow us to quickly progress through our younger cohorts – working on the basis that everyone aged 40 to 49 will have received their first vaccination as we’re entering June.
“We appreciate there’s an eagerness for people to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, and we need everyone to take up that opportunity when it is presented to them. We would just ask for patience and further support as we head into these younger age groups.”
First dose vaccinations in the younger cohorts will take place at the same time as second doses are provided to older age groups– within the twelve week window set out by the Scottish Government.
As at close of May 4, there had been 89,472 first dose vaccinations in the region, and 59,678 second dose vaccinations.
