Vaccination of 16 and 17 year olds in the Western Isles

Young people in the Western Isles aged 16 and 17 who are now eligible for a first dose of the COVID vaccine will soon be contacted directly by NHS Western Isles to invite them to attend a vaccination appointment.

The vaccine offered to 16 and 17 year olds in the Western Isles will be a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Pending further evidence on effectiveness and safety in this age group, a second dose is anticipated to be offered later to increase the level of protection and contribute towards longer term protection.

The programme has always carefully assessed all the benefits and potential risks and offered vaccine to groups where this benefit is clear. The research and evidence shows that is the case for this age group and they will now be called forward for an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine.

We ask that individuals in this age group in the Western Isles do not register on the national portal, as it is not used locally. A local system is in place to contact all eligible individuals directly.

Vaccinating people as quickly as possible will help drive infection rates down, particularly as a significantly more infectious and faster spreading strain has developed.

The coronavirus vaccine can reduce your risk of developing coronavirus and make your symptoms milder if you do get it. The vaccine is not mandatory but NHS Scotland strongly recommends you get the vaccine when offered it.

We await the outcome of analysis of data on second doses for this age group and any additional future advice on vaccination for those in the 12-15 age group.