NHS Tayside has apologised for long waiting times at the Dundee vaccination centre on Friday.
The health board has blamed “unplanned staff absences” for the delays.
Extra vaccinators were brought in to help with the staff shortage.
Some locals reported waiting nearly an hour to get their jag at the High Street centre, despite having booked an appointment.
NHS Tayside has assured locals they are working “very hard” to ensure waiting times are minimised going forward.
One man reported growing queues at around lunchtime on Friday.
He said: “I had an appointment at a specific time but, being the first full day since booster jabs were moved from six months to three, I wasn’t surprised when I arrived to find a queue of people waiting outside the Covid centre.
“But it turned out to be quite a wait, almost three quarters of an hour in total, before I was taken for my jab.
“It was obvious that staff were under real pressure, with a second queue of people who didn’t have appointments also waiting in line to be seen when it was possible.”
‘Staff under real pressure’
He added: “When I eventually left, the queue of those with pre-booked appointments had grown significantly, with people waiting as far along the High Street as Pandora’s jewellery shop.
“Hopefully it’s no more than a one-off with people rushing to get their booster as the threat of Omicron grows.
“But if not, health bosses will have to think again to avoid people waiting for long periods out in the cold for their jab.
“In winter – and with vulnerable and elderly people in the queue – that is far from ideal.”
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said, “We would like to apologise to anyone who attended for their appointment at the Dundee vaccination centre today and had to wait longer than planned.
“There were a number of unplanned staff absences which led to people having to wait longer than we would like. Additional vaccinators were brought in to increase capacity at the centre and help reduce the queue.
“The public should be assured that the vaccination teams across Tayside are working very hard to ensure people are seen as quickly as possible and to minimise any delays.
“We would like to thank everyone who has attended so far during the vaccine programme and would encourage others to come along for their vaccine.”
The delays come just a day after some locals reported being turned away from their booster vaccine appointments due to a mix-up with guidance.
