Vaccine isles bound after logistics concerns resolved

NHS Orkney has welcomed new guidance from the Scottish Government, allowing the COVID-19 vaccine to be transported by ferry to the outer isles.

It had been thought that it wouldn’t be possible to transport the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, which must be stored at -70˚C, to the outer isles. Yesterday, Tuesday, Orkney MSP Liam McArthur raised concerns over whether this would negatively impact high priority recipients such as residents of Kalisgarth Care Centre in Westray.

But, following the release of updated guidance, this morning, NHS Orkney were pleased to confirms that the vaccine can now be transported by ferry to the outer isles.

NHSO interim chief executive, Michael Dickson, said: “The new guidance that allows the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to be moved by ferry to Shetland and Orkney’s outer isles is most welcome and will have a positive impact on our ability to vaccinate vulnerable islanders in some of the UK’s most remote care homes. 

“As soon as we became aware of the need to clarify the transport arrangements for the defrosted vaccine, we started working on contingency plans in case they were needed. We are pleased that these are now not required due to the extensive discussions between the Scottish Government and the MHRA.  

“This is a new vaccine and, understandably, we need to manage it carefully which is why we are taking the steps we are. As chief executive of two of Scotland’s remote island boards, I would rather we take a safety-first approach and, while that has caused a minor delay while we clarified issues, we can now progress confident in the effectiveness of the vaccine.”