Glasgow Central Mosque operates as vaccination centre

GLASGOW: A mosque is operating 12 hours a day as a vaccination centre to inoculate younger adults in a Covid hotspot in Glasgow.

People aged 18 to 39 who live in postcodes G41, G42, G5, G51 or G52 in Glasgow are being offered coronavirus jabs early as public health authorities tackle a surge in cases in those areas.

The city has the highest rate of coronavirus in Scotland at 104.6 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to May 15, with the southside worst affected.

Glasgow Central Mosque is operating as a vaccination centre and will be open from 8am until 8pm each day until further notice.

It said on Twitter: “If you live in postcodes G41, G42, G5, G51 or G52 and are aged 18-39, you have been identified as a priority to receive a Covid-19 vaccination and an appointment has been reserved for you.

“You will be asked to attend to receive your first vaccination against Covid-19 soon, by either a text inviting you to make an appointment or a letter with a date through the post.”

Covid-19 vaccinations are also being offered to those aged 18-39 in Moray as NHS Grampian combats an outbreak of the virus in the area.

Elsewhere, it is mainly those aged 40 and over who are being offered vaccine appointments – though younger people have been called in some areas.

Scotland’s national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch said a contingency supply of vaccines is being used to vaccinate the younger age groups.

He told BBC Breakfast: “We’ve got to be slightly more cautious about that route because of supply. We simply do not have 60 million vaccines for every person in the country, we’re getting them, they’re coming, and by the end of July we will have offered every adult a single dose, let’s be clear, but we can use some contingency vaccine for these hotspots Bolton, Glasgow, Moray, so we can do it.”

He said authorities are also trying to find people in Glasgow who did not come for their first dose, or who missed their second jab, to encourage them to get fully inoculated.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it is finalising plans to bring forward second doses for those aged 50 and over in the affected areas of the city.

Glasgow and Moray remain in Level 3 restrictions despite the rest of mainland Scotland moving to Level 2 on Monday.

East Renfrewshire has the second highest rate of cases in Scotland at 94.2 per 100,000 people in the seven days to May 15.Moray is now in fifth position with 48 cases per 100,000.