App will 'help demonstrate effectiveness of coronavirus vaccine'

Health staff are to begin using an app which will help determine the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines.

The Vaccination Management Tool will give health and care home staff carrying out Covid-19 jabs information on patients.

Vaccinators will be able to see whether it is someone’s first or second dose and which vaccine has been given.

It can be used on PCs, tablets and mobile phones and can send data to GPs.

The Scottish Government said the information collected will over time help to demonstrate how effective each vaccine is by linking with testing data.

It will also help record how many people have received the vaccination.

Health secretary Jeane Freeman thanked those who developed the app.

She said: “Clearly we welcome anything which simplifies the process for vaccinators and having this app which can be used wherever they are working will be invaluable, allowing them to quickly access all relevant information on site.”

NHS Education for Scotland chief executive Stewart Irvine said: “Delivering a national vaccine programme is a huge undertaking.

“We are trying to make things as easy to use as possible for the staff who have to manage these large numbers of people. That’s in terms of planning their workflows, being able to work flexibly in all kinds of locations, and in providing a steady stream of data to help national planners.

“With tools like these, we are building integrated systems which remove additional burdens from hard-pressed health and care staff – allowing them to do what they do best.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde trialled the app for the winter flu vaccination programme.

The health board’s immunisation programme manager Scott Hanley said: “We’re pleased to have helped test and feed back on the app. Having all the individuals’ information in one place and not having to use paper saved so much time for our staff.

“The fact that it is web-based also gives much more flexibility in who can use it – which gives us greater flexibility. And using a mobile tablet will help ensure patients are processed quicker on arrival at sites and will reduce the possibility of queues building up.”