A terminally ill Scots mum is still waiting for her third Covid jab amid fears vulnerable people are being ‘left behind’ in the booster rollout.
Charlene Johnstone, 34, who suffers from a rare organ-destroying disorder, got her second jab during a home visit by a GP in May last year, but is too sick to travel to one of Scotland’s community hubs to get her third.
Ms Johnstone was fit and healthy until nerve damage during pregnancy caused her to develop gastroparesis.
The condition left her stomach paralysed, preventing her from digesting food, and she must now be fed through a tube.
Two years ago, complications led to her developing amyloidosis, a rare condition where protein deposits build up in the organs eventually leading to organ failure.
Ms Johnstone's form of the disease, which has damaged her spleen, kidneys and liver, is incurable and terminal.
But she claims to have been told that visiting her in Knightswood, Glasgow, to give her a booster at home would "be a waste of five doses".
Charlene, who lives with her mum, says she didn't want to impose limitations on her 13-year-old son as he returned to school.
Ms Johnstone, said: "I was told if they came out and gave me one booster it would be a waste of the other five doses, but I'm sure they could find another five people in Knightswood area who are still waiting.
"It's frustrating because my son's going back to school now and obviously I can't say to him 'you're not going out' - kids are kids, they pick up everything.
"My mum goes out for food shopping and she is really careful, as are most of my family, but you just don't know where you're going to get it."
Charlene believes she would have died when she previously contracted Covid last year had she not been double vaccinated.
She fell ill with the bug in September, but now fears her immunity from previous vaccinations may be waning.
She added: "I was pretty sick with it at the time - they wanted to move me into the hospice but I didn't want to go.
"I was determined just to fight it off.
"I know a booster might not totally stop me from getting infected, but if I hadn't had the two jags when I got covid last time then I probably wouldn't be here, so not having the booster now is a worry when my immunity will have waned.
"There are nurses in and out twice a day.
"The nurses are vaccinated obviously, but my brother and sister-in-law were covered too and they still got Omicron.
"There's so much of it about."
It comes as health professionals raised fears that vulnerable people who are housebound are being ‘left behind’ in the rollout of the third shot.
Health boards rather than GPs have been responsible for the booster rollout, which some GPs fear has made it harder for elderly and terminally ill patients to access jabs.
The distribution of vaccines such as the Pfizer jab which comes in a six-dose vial also poses logistical issues.
Dr John Montgomery, chair of the South Glasgow GP Committee, said he knew of a woman in her 90s who had been asked to travel seven miles.
Dr Montgomery said: "Unsurprisingly that wasn't practical, whereas before she'd have walked 50 yards to the health centre."
During December, a push to increase vaccination rates and booster uptake among some 'hard-to-reach' patient groups - especially over-70s in more deprived areas - saw GPs invited to take part in a last-minute vaccine drive through GP practices.
Around 40 per cent of practices in the south of Glasgow took part, including Dr Montgomery's David Elder Medical Practice which delivered 200 extra vaccinations by Christmas Eve.
But Dr Montgomery said he would like to see GPs given the opportunity to be involved earlier in future rollouts.
Dr Montogomery said: "The housebound always tended to find themselves last in terms of getting a vaccine, even pre-covid with the flu vaccines where it was the district nurses who were largely responsible.
"And that was in the days of a nice, easy, single-dose vaccine.
"Now of course with the multi-dosing vials it's even more difficult to organise.
"The fundamental problem is a shortage of vaccinators - they've managed to recruit more for the push to get everyone done before the end of the year, but the housebound has always been a logistical problem.
"Taking general practice out of the equation I think has been detrimental.
"When we got the chance to do the over-75s, over-80s, and shielded earlier last year, the uptake was phenomenal.
"And a lot of the patients - who were genuinely housebound - when we said 'we can deliver this to you in the practice', had relatives to bring them in if that was at all practical."
A spokesman for NHS GGC said: "Members of the public who are currently registered with their GPs as being unable to travel to receive their vaccination will have their booster delivered by the relevant HSCP team, who work in partnership with the Health Board and are in the process of contacting them all to receive their flu and COVID-19 booster in line with eligibility.
"As with all vaccinations, which take place away from a community clinic environment, our vaccinators visit homes in close proximity to one another whenever they are able, to ensure that there is as little wastage as possible.
"While this is not always practical, it is important that we give priority to an individual’s right to and need for a vaccination against potential wastage, particularly at a time when there are no vaccine shortages.
"NHSGGC has also ensured that for those people with mobility issues, but who can leave their own home, have access to transport to a local community clinic, where they can receive their vaccination.
"We are very grateful to the GP community who supported the roll-out of the initial stages of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
"The decision for the booster programme to operate on a community clinic basis was taken in partnership with GP colleagues as due to the increasing requirements of patients requiring General Practice healthcare, it was determined that the focus of our GPs should be treating rather than vaccinating patients.
"However, a number of GP practices have also supported the booster phase of the vaccination programme in November and December by providing additional vaccination in areas where uptake was lower, and some cases, GP practice staff have also carried out vaccination within community clinics."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Health boards have a list of people currently registered as housebound with their GPs, and are in the process of contacting them all to receive their flu and COVID-19 booster in line with eligibility.
“Procedures are in place for when the nature of an individual’s condition means they cannot travel, so that a home vaccination appointment can be organised.
"People should contact the number on their appointment letter.
“Health boards are also able to offer assistance to those with mobility issues in travelling to and from their vaccination appointment.”
