Motorists who have received a Covid-19 booster vaccine have been issued a warning about a potentially costly error.
The Scottish and UK Governments have urged everybody who is eligible to get an additional jab as soon as they are able, with over 43 million people across the UK having been given the booster.
In Scotland, the observation period following administration of the vaccine — during which people are asked to remain in case immediate side effects appear — was reduced from 15 to 5 minutes.
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However, driving experts have warned motorists not to take this as an indication that they should immediately begin driving again instantly after receiving the jab.
This is because, if they then get into an accident, it may invalidate their insurance, as reported by Wales Online.
Duncan McClure Fisher from leading motoring association MotorEasy said: “The official advice is to still wait 15 minutes after having the booster jab before driving.
“But this may have been somewhat lost in the background noise of the observation period being scrapped.
“Scientific studies have shown the level of serious allergic reactions to the vaccines is low, but there are some more common side effects such as fatigue, nausea, a sore arm and headaches.
“All of these could affect your ability to drive and if you had an accident, that has the potential to cause problems with insurance and could leave you seriously out of pocket.
“If the matter escalates to court you would have to demonstrate that the booster and any related side effects were not responsible for the incident.”
He added: “The booster campaign has been a huge success, especially since the emergence of the Omicron variant at the end of last year, and nothing should prevent people from having it if it’s something they want to do.
“What we would advise, though, is having some plans in place to make sure everything goes smoothly.
“Make sure you give yourself enough time to wait for 15 minutes after leaving the vaccination centre to make sure you feel okay.
“That could mean paying for a bit longer in the car park or not booking work appointments straight afterwards.
“If you do experience any difficulties, follow the Government advice and don’t just drive off hoping for the best as it could be a very costly mistake.”
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