Over 6,429 winter vaccines have been delivered.
The Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) winter vaccination programme has been underway for two weeks. Over 6,429 eligible residents have received COVID-19 booster and flu vaccines across 25 locations. As of 15 September 15,743 future appointments have been booked, and a further 158 scheduled clinics with 16,473 appointments are still available.
The HSCP would like to thank community members who have chosen to get vaccinated and booked appointments. We have capacity for all eligible community members and would encourage people to book their vaccination appointments to stay protected.
Alison McGrory, Associate Director of Public Health said: "Throughout Argyll and Bute, local people are taking up the offer of being vaccinated for flu and COVID. Community members are taking positive steps to protect their own health and that of their friends, family and loved ones. Vaccines are an effective way to prevent infectious diseases as they teach our immune system how to recognise and fight viruses."
We received feedback about technical issues when booking clinics in Cowal on 22 August. The National Booking Portal (NBP) occasionally can show local scheduled clinics as unavailable at times. This can happen when the health board is updating or uploading clinics behind the scenes. If you can't see local clinics on the NBP it's probably because of an update. If this happens we would encourage community members to check back in a few hours, after the files have successfully loaded on to the booking system. The NBP system when you book online brings up 3 visible clinics on your technology devices. We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to scroll down the page past the initial 3 clinics showing, to view all the other available clinics and appointments on the system.
From the launch of the winter vaccination programme there have been 20 clinics available on the NBP for Cowal Community Hospital. Some appointments were bookable from 4 August for eligible groups of people, and a further 6 clinics have been available from 5 September. There are more than enough appointments available for eligible residents across Cowal communities without having to travel out of the area.
Evan Beswick, Primary Care Manager said: "It takes a huge amount of hard work to manage the winter vaccination programme. Our teams are working incredibly hard to provide the vaccine as quickly and as safely as possible. I would like to acknowledge and thank all the healthcare staff behind the scenes and vaccination teams dedicated to the success of the Argyll and Bute winter vaccination programme, helping to protect and keep our communities safer."
If anyone is experiencing booking issues or needs support to book an appointment online, view a step-by-step video guide on YouTube.
Alternatively, call the national vaccination helpline:
phone 0800 030 8013
The helpline is open:
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
- Saturday, 9am to 1pm
- (closed on Sunday)
See more information on how to book, cancel or rearrange a winter vaccination appointment: