As many as 50 per cent of appointments have not been attended on certain days at larger COVID vaccination centres in Perth, NHS Tayside has revealed.
That figure has prompted NHS Tayside’s director of public health Dr Emma Fletcher to make a strong appeal to the public to attend vaccination appointments.
NHS Tayside added there has been a rise in the number of no-shows in recent weeks at the region’s main jab hubs - Dewars Centre in Perth, Blairgowrie Town Hall and the Atholl Leisure Centre in Pitlochry.
The appeal to get vaccinated also follows concerns about a recent significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in neighbouring Dundee, with the variant first identified in India - now named ‘Delta’ by the World Health Organisation - circulating in Tayside.
As a result the first minister announced that Dundee would remain in level two of Scottish Government restrictions, but Perth and Kinross will go into level one from Saturday.
Dr Fletcher said: “COVID-19 is still very much with us and the vaccine is your best protection against it.
“We strongly recommend that everyone gets the vaccine when offered it, particularly as we have seen a sharp increase in the number of cases in Tayside.
“It is also very important for people to get both doses of the vaccine for maximum protection.
"We know there are a variety of reasons why people do not attend their appointment and the vaccination team continues to closely monitor attendance at appointments.
“They are also developing options for alternative ways to deliver clinics to ensure that as many people in Tayside are able to take up the offer of vaccination when it is offered.
“We are asking anyone who is unable to attend their appointment to reschedule it for a more suitable date and time.”
The NHS Tayside vaccination programme has now delivered over 419,000 vaccine doses to the people of Tayside.
The programme is now vaccinating all those aged 30-39, as well as delivering second doses.
Dr Fletcher added: “We have done so well in Tayside but we need everyone to work together and play their part to help us slow down the spread of the virus.”
