Public Health Scotland is pushing harder than ever to get jabs in arms this spring — especially in East Lothian — as new data hints at waning protection and rising Covid concerns ahead of summer.
Health officials say the window is closing fast. With the spring Covid vaccine campaign running until June 30, those most vulnerable — particularly over-75s, care home residents, and people with weakened immune systems — are being urged not to delay. The message is clear: protection fades, and topping up immunity could keep thousands out of hospital.
Uptake Worries Linger as Eligibility Letters Go Out
The push isn’t just routine. Behind the scenes, officials are worried. Uptake among key groups is slower than hoped, especially in parts of East Lothian and other rural zones. Vaccination letters, texts, and emails have already been issued, but appointments are still going unbooked.
Dr Sam Ghebrehewet, who heads up immunisation at Public Health Scotland, didn’t sugarcoat it. “Getting vaccinated could mean the difference between a mild illness and a hospital stay,” he said in a statement. “Your strongest protection is in those first three months.”
That timeframe matters. Vaccines lose their punch as time goes on. Winter jabs, even from just a few months ago, won’t cut it now — especially with new strains lingering in the background.
Officials are now reminding eligible people that:
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Spring jabs are invitation-only, based on risk
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Rescheduling is easy via the national online portal
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Walk-ins are not generally available for this campaign
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Those who missed winter jabs are still encouraged to get the spring dose
More Than Just a Jab: A Push to Avoid Repeat of Last Summer
Scotland’s health services are trying to avoid a repeat of what happened last year. In summer 2024, more than 10,000 Covid cases were officially reported, alongside 4,000 hospital admissions. And that’s just the recorded cases — the real numbers, experts say, were likely much higher.
It’s not just about catching Covid — it’s about what happens afterward. Many older adults saw their health decline weeks or months after infection, even if the illness itself seemed minor at first. The long-term effects are still being studied.
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That’s why health officials are so determined to make the spring rollout stick. They see it as a buffer — not just for individuals, but for the NHS.
Who’s Getting the Message?
For now, uptake is patchy. Some care homes are reporting good turnout. Others, not so much. Among the over-75s, it’s hit or miss — partly due to confusion about eligibility, partly because of vaccine fatigue.
Some people are just… tired of it. “I had my winter booster, and I didn’t get sick,” said James Campbell, 77, from Tranent. “So I thought, why bother again?”
But that’s exactly the kind of thinking PHS wants to challenge.
Dr Ghebrehewet points to studies showing significant waning immunity within 90 days post-vaccination — especially for older adults. That fading protection could be the difference between bouncing back or ending up in hospital.
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PHS is particularly keen to reach people with weakened immune systems. Many of them saw limited protection from the initial vaccine rounds. The spring jab gives them another shot — literally — at staying safe.
A Look at the Data: Hospital Admissions and Vaccine Timing
To better understand the stakes, let’s look at hospitalisation trends in Scotland tied to Covid waves:
| Period | Recorded Covid Cases | Hospital Admissions | Vaccination Campaign Active? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2023 | 10,284 | 4,198 | No |
| Winter 2023-24 | 7,920 | 2,310 | Yes |
| Spring 2024 (so far) | 3,001 | 1,075 | Yes (ongoing) |
The drop in hospitalisations during the winter campaign speaks for itself. Spring numbers, while still early, are being closely watched.
What’s worrying officials now is that hospitalisations are ticking upward again — quietly, but steadily. The fear? If vaccine uptake stalls, those numbers could spike by mid-June.
Complacency and Confusion Are Slowing Things Down
Not everyone’s avoiding the jab out of defiance. Some just didn’t know they were eligible. Others missed their letter or assumed it was spam. The communication gap has become a real problem.
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Public Health Scotland admits there’s work to do. The system relies on correct contact details — and if someone’s moved, changed phones, or doesn’t check email often, they might never know they were invited.
Then there’s the misinformation.
“I read on Facebook that boosters aren’t even needed anymore,” said one East Lothian resident who didn’t want to be named. “They said it’s just a flu now.”
That attitude, health experts warn, is dangerously oversimplified. For vulnerable groups, Covid is still a threat. Maybe not the same kind of crisis as 2020, but far from a harmless cold.
What Happens If You Miss It?
Missing the spring jab doesn’t mean you’re locked out forever, but it does mean you’re more exposed during summer — a time when infections quietly circulate via travel, events, and reduced indoor ventilation.
There’s no official penalty for skipping it, of course. But the impact is personal.
One GP in Musselburgh put it bluntly: “You might feel fine now. But if you land in hospital in June with pneumonia, that shot you skipped in April will feel like a big deal.”
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The National Vaccination Helpline (0800 030 8013) is open seven days a week. You can also change appointments online — no fuss.
Summer’s Coming — And So Are the Tourists
With festivals, sporting events, and travel picking up, health experts are bracing for more movement — and more virus spread. It’s not alarmist, they insist. It’s just common sense.
Elderly people often live with, or are cared for by, younger family members who are far more mobile. That’s how the virus hops between age groups.
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Add in a few big indoor gatherings and… well, we’ve seen how that story plays out.
The vaccine may not stop every infection. But it’s one of the best shots we’ve got at making sure the virus doesn’t hit as hard.
