Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton Constituency, has said that the Scottish Government must accelerate the booster roll-out as a matter of urgency.

Scottish Labour analysis of the latest statistics has shown that as many as 835,866 eligible Scots are yet to receive their booster vaccine. In the whole of Argyll and Bute, just 30.6% of people have received their booster vaccine, with similar figures for West Dunbartonshire.

Jackie Baillie has repeatedly raised concerns about how slow the roll out of the booster programme has been for Helensburgh residents. Baillie has said that anyone living in her constituency who have been left waiting more than 6 months between their second dose and booster to get in touch with her constituency office on 01389 734 214 or email Jackie.bailie.msp@parliament.scot

With winter looming and the NHS under extraordinary pressure, Jackie Baillie has said that the booster programme must be sped up immediately and that the SNP government must be prepared to take meaningful action to ensure the NHS has surge capacity this winter.

Commenting, Jackie Baillie said:

“We are entering winter with worryingly high levels of Covid and with hundreds of thousands of eligible people still waiting on their booster vaccine, including many local people across my constituency.

“If we are to avoid serious consequences this winter then the SNP government must be willing to take meaningful action now.

“Expanding eligibility for the booster is entirely reasonable, but it only makes sense if those already eligible are being vaccinated.

“It’s time for Humza Yousaf to realise the scale of the situation before us and act.”