West Lothian hopes to boost the numbers of people taking up flu and Covid jabs this winter.
Scotland as a whole has seen fewer people taking the vaccine – even though more people now qualify – as the pandemic recedes into memory.
Concerns have been raised that the uptake has been affected by fears of side effects of the Covid jab, although the numbers taking the flu vaccine have also dropped.
A meeting of West Lothian’s Social Work and Health PDSP heard that plans for the winter immunisation are being finalised.
In a report to the committee Neil Ferguson, the General Manager of Primary Care and Community Services said that West Lothian generally did better than other parts of Scotland in delivering the immunisation programme because the delivery model was more accessible to people.
However, from highs during the pandemic with over 90% uptake the figures have dropped, in some cases quite dramatically.
The Covid-19 Winter 2024/25 overall uptake, which ended in January, was 43.8% in West Lothian and 47.4% nationally. A further Spring programme running from April to June saw local uptake of 59.7% compared to nationally of 60.6%.
For the flu jab overall uptake to the end of March 2025 was 51.6% for West Lothian and 53.2% nationally.
Other immunisation programmes including for RSV, Pneumococcal and Shingles all scored much higher uptakes of more than 70% or 75% both locally and nationally.
Mr Ferguson told councillors: “West Lothian adult vaccination clinic model delivers vaccinations clinics that are geographically spread out across West Lothian and clinics are based within local health centres.
“Patients are scheduled to ensure vaccination appointments are offered at the nearest clinic to place of residence to support person-centred care. Vaccinations are also carried out in care homes and patients’ own homes.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service also helps deliver immunisations, and bespoke clinics can be arranged in geographic areas where lower uptake is evident.
On children’s vaccinations he said: “WLHSCP’s children’s clinic model offers vaccination clinics in all health centres within West Lothian on a fortnightly basis with the exception of primary and secondary school pupils who are vaccinated by the NHS Lothian Community Vaccination Team (CVT).
“WLHSCP delivers nasal flu within all council nurseries and is the only HSCP in NHS Lothian to provide this service. The Children’s Immunisation Team has significantly reduced waiting lists for children to be vaccinated.”
Councillor Harry Cartmill told the meeting that he had been hospitalised with a reaction to the Covid vaccine, and he asked if fears of side effects were putting people off.
“Do you have stats from before Covid. There is wariness from a huge section of the public to the Covid vaccine when they see examples like my own.”
Mr Fergusion said: “We would have stats from before Covid of uptake but there are changes between now and then which would mean we were not comparing apples with apples.
“Since Covid came the flu eligibility has changed dramatically as well so the true numbers from before are very likely to be smaller.
“Also, before Covid the vaccination programme was managed by individual GP practices rather than centrally by Health and Social Care Partnership.”
Louise Blyth, the Clinical Nurse Manager at the partnership told the meeting: “Sadly we are seeing a declining picture in vaccination uptake across the whole of Scotland with regards to Covid and flu.
“There’s a lot of vaccination hesitancy out there and I think social media sometimes plays a part in that as well so that is a challenge for us. It is about going out there and educating, as well as vaccines.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
