Scots over-50 urged to get winter Covid and flu booster jab

People in Scotland over the age of 50 and with no underlying health conditions will start being called to book a winter vaccine from Monday.

Those aged between 50 and 64 are being encouraged to get the jab to protect against Covid-19 and flu.

The Scottish government said it hoped the rollout would help ease pressure on the NHS over the winter months.

Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, urged people to get the jab ahead of an expected rise in cases.

The extended rollout comes a week after official figures showed Scotland has already seen a sharp spike in Covid-19 numbers.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said an estimated one in 35 people in Scotland (about 144,000) had the virus in the week up to 10 October.

The figure was up from one in 50 people in the week up to 29 September - the most recent previous statistic.

The government said, as of Monday, jab appointments for over-50s can be made on the NHS Inform website.

They can also be rescheduled online - with a national helpline available for those without internet access.

More than 870,000 people have so far come forward for a Covid-19 and flu vaccine - including healthcare staff, care home residents, over-65s and those at high risk - since the winter vaccination booster campaign launched at the end of August.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said uptake of the vaccines had been "encouraging" and that people who are vaccinated are "less likely to become seriously unwell from Covid-19 or flu".

"The flu virus is always changing and Covid-19 protection can fade over time so I would ask everyone eligible to take up the offer of their winter vaccines so we can all stay safe over the winter months," she said.

Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, said he expected to see Covid cases rise as we get deeper into autumn and winter.

He added: "Please don't put off getting your flu and Covid-19 vaccines.

"Newer vaccines for both will update your level of protection and reduce likelihood of severe disease, even from newer variants."

More than two million Scots are being offered both vaccines during the course of the winter vaccine programme.

Both new bivalent vaccines, which target Omicron and the original variant of Covid-19, are being deployed alongside existing vaccines, though the vaccination individuals receive will depend on age and vaccine availability.

Linda Bauld, who is a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh and a Scottish government adviser, told BBC Scotland it was "really key and crucial that we come forward again".

She said: "I know people are probably a bit fed-up of coming forward for vaccination, but we are seeing rising levels of flu.

"The chances of getting both (Covid and flu) together are not zero and they result in much worse disease outcomes."