Spring virus vaccination rollout for Ayrshire

ROLLOUT: A spring COVID-19 vaccination programme is on the way for Ayrshire (Image: Christian Emmer)

NHS Ayrshire and Arran is urging people in the region to come forward and get vaccinated this spring, against a disease still deemed as “serious”.

The health service is running a programme, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable to COVID-19, including older adults in care homes,  aged 75 and over, and those with weakened immune systems.

People who are invited for the vaccination have been assured by experts that age or health conditions can see “higher risk” of becoming “seriously ill” if one were to contract the virus.

A spring vaccination is highlighted by the NHS as “stronger protection”, with winter doses believed to gradually reduce over a few months.

Public Health Director Lynne McNiven has joined in this public message to continue their vaccinations into this period.

McNiven said: “COVID-19 can be serious, especially for older adults and those with weakened immune systems. Protection from vaccination reduces over time, so it’s important those eligible get vaccinated to keep their protection topped up.”

The spring vaccination programme runs from April 7 to June 30 this year, with the first stage focusing on visits to local care homes and housebound individuals for rollouts.

Mass vaccination clinics will start opening from next Monday (April 13) with patients potentially being offered a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination if eligible.

COVID-19 was first discovered back in 2020, with the widespread forcing a national UK lockdown from March that year, and still has the health service believing it “has not disappeared.”

More information on the spring programme for NHS Ayrshire and Arran can be found here.