A Dundee dad was left searching for answers after conflicting advice over whether or not to double vaccinate his 16-year-old daughter.
Gavin Laing wants to highlight his experience to warn other parents after the mix up.
His daughter received her vaccine in August, but then got an official letter advising her to get a second dose.
When he sought advice from vaccine centre staff and the Covid-19 helpline, he was told she shouldn’t.
To add to the confusion, when he checked her online vaccination status it showed she wasn’t fully vaccinated, suggesting a second vaccine was required.
Dad-of-two Gavin says: “My daughter has a cognitive disability and gets anxious about things, and this didn’t help.
“She was determined to be vaccinated to do her bit, but getting the letter left her worried that she wasn’t safe. And she was concerned about putting elderly members of her family or others at risk.
“When she went for her vaccination in August they were brilliant with her and we thought that was it.
“But after the letter came through, we felt confused. I had to take my son for his vaccination, so I asked the head vaccinator for advice on what we should do.
“They said she shouldn’t get two doses. They also gave us a pamphlet with that same information and a number for the Covid-19 helpline.”
After spending 30 minutes on hold to the helpline and speaking to an operator for 30 minutes, Mr Laing was advised to contact his local health board. But they re-directed him to another Covid line.
“I phoned it and was on hold for an hour. At this point I thought enough was enough and I wasn’t getting anywhere.”
‘I want to warn other parents’
When we contacted the Scottish Government about the issue, they supplied a new number for Mr Laing to call and outlined the current procedure for the 16 and 17 year-old age groups.
After calling the number it was discovered Mr Laing’s daughter had been incorrectly categorised as vulnerable – prompting the second letter.
He added: “We are really glad to get this sorted out and her vaccination status updated correctly.
“But I wanted to highlight these mistakes can happen to warn other parents out there. If I hadn’t persisted she might have got a second dose when she didn’t need one.”
What is the current guidance?
The Scottish Government advise – for the time being – most 16 and 17 year-olds are only eligible for one dose, unless guidance is updated by the JCVI.
But some in that age group will be offered two doses in certain circumstances.
A spokesperson said: “The 16 and 17-year-olds already eligible for two doses of the vaccine include those with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19; those who are household contacts of persons who are immunosuppressed; and 17-year-olds who are within three months of their 18th birthday.
“The Covid Status Helpline is available every day from 10 am to 6 pm on 0808 196 8565, and can investigate whether details held on an individual’s vaccination records are accurate.”
