Committee
COVID-19 Committee 14 January 2021
14 Jan 2021 · S5 · COVID-19 Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 11) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/3)
Professor Leitch
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We have a rounded figure of 5 per cent for wastage of vaccines—that is what we use for the flu vaccine, and the World Health Organization says that that is the rough global average. It is difficult to be sure, but I would absolutely hope that we would get wastage down below that figure. In the flu vaccine roll-out, we get it significantly below that, but, for planning purposes, it is traditional to talk about 5 per cent wastage. Wastage happens for a number of reasons. Some vials might be bust, the seal might be broken so the vaccine cannot be used, or something might happen with the syringe. The process is human: someone has to take a syringe, put a needle on it and put it in the vat. They could make a mistake, such as get the sterilisation wrong, or the needle could fall. There could be all kinds of human error—it is rare, but possible. In addition, at the end of the day, all the doses of vaccine may not have been used. It will come in vials of various sizes, depending on whether it comes from Pfizer or AstraZeneca. Of course, we would try to use it up. That is one reason that I might be asked why a 40-year-old clerkess in the hospital got the vaccine, for example. That would probably have been to use up some of the wastage—for example, if an ICU nurse was working and did not turn up for their dose. There is some wastage, but I would hope that we keep it to an absolute minimum. Everybody in the vaccine clinics wants to use every precious dose of it—you can be absolutely assured of that.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Donald Cameron)
Con
Good morning, and welcome to the second meeting in 2021 of the COVID-19 Committee. We have received apologies from Monica Lennon and Beatrice Wishart. David ...
The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs (Michael Russell)
SNP
Thank you for inviting me to give evidence on the regulations. Due to the time that is available today, I will not cover them all in detail in my remarks, bu...
The Convener
Con
Thank you, cabinet secretary—that is useful. I now turn to questions. I remind members that we have approximately eight to 10 minutes each for questions, so ...
Michael Russell
SNP
It is appropriate that I get Kevin Stewart, the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, to give you details of that consultation because he is r...
The Convener
Con
My next question is probably best directed to Jason Leitch. Are you seeing in the data on infection rates any sign of the situation stabilising or even impro...
Professor Jason Leitch (Scottish Government)
Thank you for having me back again, convener. “Glimmer” would be as far as I would go. The last time that we spoke a week ago, we were talking of a doubling ...
The Convener
Con
My final question, which is about the vaccine, is again probably best directed to Jason Leitch. In the vaccine plan that was announced yesterday, there are f...
Professor Leitch
We have a rounded figure of 5 per cent for wastage of vaccines—that is what we use for the flu vaccine, and the World Health Organization says that that is t...
The Convener
Con
Thank you—that is very helpful. David Stewart has the next question. Before he begins, I ask him whether he has any relevant interests to declare.
David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, convener—I have no relevant interests to declare. My first question, which is on the protection from evictions, is for the cabinet secretary. I t...
Michael Russell
SNP
I thank David Stewart for those questions. It is almost impossible to predict the actual numbers, given the nature of evictions. Each eviction is unique, and...
David Stewart
Lab
Thank you. I have a wider question for Jason Leitch. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said recently: “The current evidence remains that ...
Professor Leitch
Thank you that very important question, Mr Stewart. Other variants will come and the situation may change, so I have got used to providing the date when I g...
The Convener
Con
The next question comes from John Mason.
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
The question of long Covid has been raised with me a few times. Where are we with that? In the past, various figures have been cited—it has been said that 10...
Professor Leitch
What we are now—
Michael Russell
SNP
I think that that is a question for Jason Leitch.
Professor Leitch
I am sorry, Mr Russell—I should have let you give it away. It is fair to say that we do not fully understand what we are now calling post-Covid syndrome, or...
John Mason
SNP
Thank you—that was helpful. The deep-end practices—those GP practices that serve the 100 poorest areas, which include parts of my constituency—have raised t...
Professor Leitch
You are right; it is very difficult. An 85-year-old in one part of our community can look much like a 70-year-old in another part of our community. As with m...
John Mason
SNP
That is great. I might come back to that another time. Finally, I understand that we will require international arrivals to have been tested before they com...
Michael Russell
SNP
I will take that question. The final arrangements for the new dispensation are being put in place. At present, I understand that there will be fairly rigorou...
Professor Leitch
It is just a brief one. I can tell Mr Mason that 100 per cent of passengers will be checked before boarding; the spot checks will be carried out post arrival...
Michael Russell
SNP
I should point out that there is a penalty for the carrier as well as for the individual. That has tended to be quite an effective way of ensuring compliance...
The Convener
Con
John Mason has a follow-up question.
John Mason
SNP
Will the carrier do the checking at the departure airport, just as it checks a passport?
Professor Leitch
I am not sure that we know the exact logistics of that yet; we do not know where the check will be done if someone is in, for example, Antigua, Mexico City o...
John Mason
SNP
Thank you.
Michael Russell
SNP
There will be a responsibility on the carrier, so it will check that.
The Convener
Con
Our next set of questions comes from Mark Ruskell.