The rollout of Covid-19 vaccines at GP surgeries in Renfrewshire is now underway as efforts to protect older people from the virus are ramped up.

Supplies of the new Oxford/AstraZeneca jab are being used in the initial push to vaccinate patients who are over the age of 80.

More than 260 Renfrewshire residents in this group have so far received their first dose of the vaccine from their GP, with the first jabs in the area being delivered over the weekend at the Anchor Mill Medical Practice, in Paisley.

Care home residents have been receiving the Pfizer vaccine since mid-December and, last week, all Renfrewshire care homes for older people completed the first doses for residents.

Staff clinics have also been held at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley, with 12,046 healthcare workers and 2,460 care home staff across the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area already vaccinated.

John Millar, communications manager at Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), told The Gazette: “Delivery of vaccines to GP practices has been planned in a phased manner over the coming weeks and people aged 80 and older will be contacted by their practice directly as soon as the vaccine becomes available. 

“There is no need for anyone to contact their GP.”

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde added: “We’d like to thank all frontline health and social care staff in Renfrewshire who have taken the opportunity to be vaccinated so far and also all the vaccinators who have worked so hard to ensure as many people are vaccinated as possible.

“We follow national prioritisation guidelines for the vaccine. In line with this guidance and following a risk assessment, any member of staff – clinical or non-clinical – who have contact with patients can receive the vaccine. This includes staff working in our Community Assessment Centres. The risk assessment also allows for high-risk, BAME and staff over the age of 65 to be vaccinated.”

Yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said health staff might end up vaccinating people on a 24/7 basis in order to get ahead of the spread of the virus as quickly as possible.

She added: “We will look at anything and everything that allows us to get this vaccination programme done as quickly as possible.”

Her comments came as she confirmed that, by Monday, a total of 175,942 people in Scotland had received their first dose.

For more information about the vaccination programme, visit www.nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine.