Young people in Lanarkshire are being urged to roll-up their sleeves for the COVID vaccine, with a Tory MSP warning that rollout targets will be missed.
Central Scotland MSP, Graham Simpson, said Scotland's vaccination rollout has slowed in recent weeks.
Last week saw roughly between six to eight thousand first doses delivered each day he claims, with the equivalent week a month ago seeing between 18-20,000 daily vaccinations delivered.
And Mr Simpson went on to say SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf admitted almost one in three 18-29 year olds won’t have had a vaccine by the time scheduled first doses are completed.
It is expected ‘to get around about the 70 per cent mark’, despite all adults having a scheduled appointment.
Hospital admissions among people aged 20-29 have tripled in the last month, while the highest hospital admissions for the week ending July 6 were among the 30-39 age group.
Mr Simpson said: “Just as we near the finishing line, the SNP’s vaccination rollout has slowed down in Scotland. The SNP are going to miss their own critical rollout targets which is a failure solely on their watch.
“This is not just a few young people missing out on their first dose. Around one in three of them will not have taken up their scheduled appointment which is concerning, while over 450,000 adults in Scotland won’t have had a dose by the time the SNP promised they would have.
“We needed more targeted messaging to this group of people and I welcome the messaging coming out at this stage.
“The SNP’s Health Secretary must urgently redouble his efforts and do everything he can to encourage young people to take up the vaccine. They must also ensure they can access vaccine drop-in centres and clinics as easily as possible.
“Hospital admissions have been rising among our young people in recent weeks. Ensuring as many young people get a vaccine can help that doesn’t become a continued trend.
“We know that vaccinations are our best protection from this virus and are the best route back for young people to enjoy doing the things they have been missing out on. "
East Kilbride SNP MSP, Collette Stevenson, hit back branding the claims from Mr Simpson and the Tories as "nonsense".
"The Scottish Government have met their target, with any shortfall in numbers a result of people not attending their appointment, or being given an appointment within the timeframe and then rescheduling," she said.
"Mr Simpson and his Tory colleagues can rest assured that the Scottish Government are doing all they can to get as many people vaccinated as possible.
"Ministers are of course aware that uptake of those taking the vaccine has slowed down in the 18-29 age group, which is why targeted measures have been introduced to make it easier for people to get their vaccination.
"For a number of weeks now we have had drop-in vaccination centres open for anyone over the age of 18, with specific social media messaging to encourage those who have yet to get vaccinated to do so."
Ms Stevenson added: "We should bear in mind that a 90 per cent uptake for a non-mandatory vaccine is an incredible statistic. We can all continue to do our part however by ensuring we get both shots when offered.”
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