Renfrewshire care home residents have been receiving their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine this week as deaths in the elderly population continue to plummet.
New figures, published by the Scottish Government, show the number of care home residents dying as a result of the virus has dropped by 62 per cent since the vaccine programme started.
The Express understands the national statistics are being mirrored in Renfrewshire.
But some of the area’s care homes are still battling covid outbreaks as additional data, published on Wednesday, shows there have been an additional three care home fatalities recorded in the past week.
It brings the total number of covid care home deaths in the local authority area to 182.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, however, said yesterday that there is now compelling evidence that the vaccine is reducing the number of deaths amongst the oldest people in our community.
She said: “I know, and I am always very aware of this, that it sounds jarring to talk about positive news, in the context of daily and weekly death tallies, which remain heartbreakingly high.
“But this initial indication that the vaccination is starting to protect people is undoubtedly really positive news.
“We hope that the signs of that protective effect will strengthen in the weeks ahead.
“We’re already seeing some early similar signs in the older age group living in the community.”
Data, published by the National Records of Scotland, shows there has been a 62 per cent reduction in the number of covid deaths in care homes over the past three weeks.
It has also revealed care home deaths last week accounted for 13 per cent for all covid deaths in Scotland.
At the start of this year, they accounted for 34 per cent of all deaths and, in the first wave of the pandemic, that figure was closer to 50 per cent.
Ms Sturgeon added: “This does give us quite strong confidence now that the early vaccination of care home residents and the focus on trying to maximise uptake within older people’s care homes is now having the impact that we desperately hoped to see it have.
“We hope to see that strengthen in the weeks ahead and we obviously very much hope to see that deaths will start to fall significantly amongst the other groups that are being vaccinated as well.”
The rollout of the second phase of care home vaccinations started in Renfrewshire on Monday and is expected to be completed within three weeks.
New guidance on managing the resumption of care home visiting is also expected to be published by the Scottish Government within days.
