Correspondence concerning the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine: FOI release

Information requested

Under the terms of the freedom of information act, please could I request: - What discussions have taken place between the Government and Health Boards regarding the roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine?

Response

In preparation for the rollout of a COVID-19 Vaccine the Scottish Government created the Flu Vaccine Covid Vaccine (FVCV) Delivery Programme. This programme's remit is to ensure the readiness of Scotland for the implementation of an expansion to flu vaccination programme and delivery of a Covid-19 vaccination as per recommendations by the Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) and Scottish Government (SG) as these emerge.

As part of this programme there have been numerous discussions between many Scottish Government Officials and representatives of NHS Scotland Health Boards. You should note too that many of the people embedded in the programme are NHS Staff who are integral to the work being done on COVID-19 Vaccination.

I have provided some information below detailing key meetings and forums where discussion takes place between the Members, Observers and Executives of the FVCV Programme Boards. These are primarily Scottish Government Officials representing several Scottish Government Departments and NHS Staff representing a variety of different specialisms and workstreams who form the workforce delivering the FVCV Programme. FVCV Programme Governance consists of:

• a Programme Board with governance and oversight of overall delivery and monitoring of key risks and milestones;

• an Executive Decision Making Group to allow for quick decision making on behalf of the wider Programme Board;

• A Delivery Group to co-ordinate the delivery programme plan, chaired by the Programme Delivery Director and comprising the key delivery work-stream leads

• 10 work-streams (with responsibility for delivery of key milestones within Programme)

In addition to the FVCV Programme board information listed above, senior members of the FVCV Programme and the Scottish Government Vaccines Division attend the NHS Scotland Chief Executives Covid-19 NHS Board Meetings/Teleconferences.

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