People under 50 in Ayrshire will soon be invited to receive their COVID-19 vaccination at a local centre as the next phase of the vaccination programme gets underway.
Those aged 40-49 will be invited first, followed by those aged 30-39 and then 18-29.
Letters inviting people to attend clinics to receive their vaccination will begin to arrive for under 50s in Ayrshire from the beginning of May.
Across Scotland, the aim is for all adults to be vaccinated by the end of July, depending on vaccine supply. To date, the vaccine has been delivered to over 207,000 people across Ayrshire and Arran.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Director of Public Health Lynne McNiven said: “You will be invited when it is your turn to get vaccinated, so please be patient as we work through the age groups.
"When you do receive your appointment letter, please do get the vaccine if you are able to do so. You can get really ill with coronavirus at any age.
“The vaccine provides our best way out of the coronavirus pandemic and a return, in time, to the things we’ve all missed.”
Those under 30 will be offered an alternative vaccine to AstraZeneca, in line with latest guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Professor Emma Thomson of the University of Glasgow Virus Research, an expert in infectious diseases, who led work undertaken in Scotland to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, added: “Each vaccine passes through a three-phase testing process, reviewed by independent regulatory and advisory bodies, to ensure it is effective and safe.
“Licensed COVID-19 vaccines have passed through the same rigorous tests as all other vaccines in tens of thousands of participants who have taken part in trials around the world, and we continue to monitor for side-effects even after licensing in the millions of people who have already received the vaccine.”
Those who have been vaccinated should continue to follow FACTS as it will take time to establish the impact of the vaccines on transmission of the virus.
For more information visit nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine or call the COVID-19 vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here