Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton Constituency, has today called for eligible school staff to be prioritised for the COVID-19 booster vaccine.

School staff are to be treated as a priority group for the winter flu vaccine, but with the decision over the COVID jab to be made in the next few days, they are currently not included in any booster programme plan.

The call comes as COVID cases rise in Scotland following the re-opening of schools. Locally, West Dunbartonshire is experiencing record breaking case figures with cases per 100,000 people surpassing 1,000 for the first time.

Jackie Baillie MSP said:

“Staff and pupil safety must be the absolute priority. It makes little sense to prioritise school staff for the winter flu jab, but not the COVID booster.

“As the decision looms, the Scottish Government must act. All through the pandemic they have been too slow to make decisions in the interests of safety and the continuity of learning.

“The attainment impact of school closures has been immense, and there is no recognition from the Government of the scale of the challenge, far less a plan to deal with it.”