Swinney has flu jab and warns vaccine ‘crucial’ to protecting NHS this winter

Swinney urges flu vaccination to protect NHS this winter

First Minister John Swinney emphasized the importance of flu vaccination as he received his own jab in Edinburgh. He described the vaccine as a crucial measure in safeguarding the NHS through the winter months.

The inoculation was administered by Tina McInnes at NHS Lothian’s Ocean Terminal vaccination centre. The program targets several groups including people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, and individuals with specific health conditions.

Mr Swinney himself qualifies due to his role as an unpaid carer for a family member. He noted that nearly one million flu vaccines have already been administered in Scotland this season, yet the country has seen a small rise in hospital admissions related to flu.

“There’s 980,000 vaccines have been deployed already, and we are seeing, despite all of that, a slight increase in the level of admissions to hospital as a consequence of flu,” Mr Swinney said.
“We need to be very attentive – that has all been monitored under the health and social care system. A crucial component of this is making sure that we have adequate levels of vaccination so the public and our health and social care system are protected.”

Last winter, around 6,500 people in Scotland were hospitalized with flu, significantly straining the health service. Authorities hope widespread vaccination this year will ease pressure on hospitals.

Author’s Summary

John Swinney highlighted that wide flu vaccination coverage is key to preventing winter strain on Scotland’s NHS and encouraged all eligible groups to get protected.

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Grampian Online Grampian Online — 2025-11-06

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