MORE than half of all adults in Dumfries and Galloway have now received both COVID-19 vaccinations.And first dose vaccinations are underway among those aged 40 to 50, thanks to renewed national availability of vaccine stocks.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway Immunisation Co-ordinator Dr Nigel Calvert said: “Fantastic progress has been made in rolling out the second dose vaccination to those people in our communities who are among the most vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19.
“A second dose provides them with the highest and longer lasting degree of protection against the coronavirus.
“However, I know that many people across health and social care are anxious to see all adults receiving a vaccine as quickly as possible.
“This will not only help protect them and our wider communities, but is needed to support the continuing moves out of lockdown.
“As ever, our ability to progress is linked to the national availability of vaccine supplies.
“Because of work that’s been undertaken to vaccinate people who are clinically at risk, who are an unpaid Carer or working in a person-facing role in health and social care, we’ve now actually already vaccinated 16,323 people in our population aged under 50 – which is 31.4 per cent of the population aged 16 to 49.
“However, I’d ask everyone to take up the opportunity of a vaccination at the time when they are offered, and to be patient as the new national availability of vaccine stocks allows us to hopefully move very quickly down through those in the next age groups.”
As at 11 May, a total of 63,968 second dose vaccinations had been delivered, representing 50.7 per cent of all people in Dumfries and Galloway over the age of 16.
And there had been a total of 89,671 first dose vaccinations, representing 70.7 per cent of the adult population.
A total of 71 per cent of all people who have received their first dose have now also received their second.
