NHS Orkney continues to vaccinate against both Flu and Covid, recognising both can be serious, even for healthy people.
If you are eligible for vaccination and have missed your appointment, or you are a household contact or carer and haven’t yet had your vaccine, please come along to one of the drop-in clinics at The Balfour below:
- Monday 4 March 10am – 12pm
- Monday 11 March 10am – 12pm
- Monday 18 March 10am – 12pm
- Monday 25 March 10am – 12pm
If you require more information regarding your eligibility please call the team on 0300 303 5313, or visit: NHS Inform Winter Vaccines.
In winter 2023/24, Scotland administered 1,650,152 influenza (Adult 18+), 538,606 influenza (Children 6 months to 17 years) and 1,390,800 COVID-19 vaccines since September 4, 2023. Among adults 65+, 80.1% received influenza, and 79.3% received COVID-19 vaccines by week 7.
Uptake is lower for influenza and COVID-19 vaccines compared to winter 2022/23. Public Health Scotland estimates that COVID-19 vaccines have saved more than 24,000 lives in Scotland between December 2020 and March 2023.
Covid Update:
The Number of acute COVID-19 admissions to hospital in Scotland decreased to 119 for the week ending 18th of February 2024 for the previous week of 154.
| Health Board of Treatment | 4 Feb 24 | 11 Feb 24 | 18 Feb 24 |
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran | 12 | 7 | 7 |
| NHS Borders | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| NHS Fife | 22 | 12 | 13 |
| NHS Forth Valley | 13 | 8 | 9 |
| NHS Grampian | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 53 | 47 | 29 |
| NHS Highland | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 22 | 25 | 12 |
| NHS Lothian | 38 | 17 | 12 |
| NHS Orkney | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| NHS Shetland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| NHS Tayside | 23 | 13 | 21 |
| NHS Western Isles | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scotland | 207 | 154 | 119 |
The number of inpatients with COVID-19 in hospital (seven day average) also decreased over the same period to 182 from 199 the previous week.
| Health Board of Treatment | 4 Feb 24 | 11 Feb 24 | 18 Feb 24 |
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran | 13 | 8 | 13 |
| NHS Borders | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| NHS Fife | 24 | 11 | 8 |
| NHS Forth Valley | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| NHS Grampian | 17 | 14 | 13 |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 75 | 65 | 54 |
| NHS Highland | 12 | 6 | 9 |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 30 | 23 | 24 |
| NHS Lothian | 45 | 42 | 29 |
| NHS Orkney | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| NHS Shetland | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| NHS Tayside | 12 | 10 | 14 |
| NHS Western Isles | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scotland | 270 | 199 | 182 |
The monitoring of local waste water for fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) continues:
The data for the area covered by the Kirkwall waste water system was last published on 13th of February and shows a positive result.

Weekly Deaths Registered with National Records of Scotland published on 22nd February 2024
The provisional total number of deaths registered in Scotland in week 7 of 2024 (12th February to 18th February) was 1,294 (35 or 3% lower than the expected number of deaths in week 7). There were 26 deaths mentioning COVID-19.
Those figures in more detail
Deaths involving Covid
- Age 46 – 64: 1 death female
- Age 65 – 74: 9 deaths 4 female, 5 male
- Age 75 – 84: 9 deaths 4 female, 5 male
- Age 85 + : 7 deaths 5 female, 2 male
There were 26 deaths involving Covid, Covid was the main cause in 20 of them.
There was 1 death involving Covid in Orkney.
One death took place in a Care Home; 2 at Home/Non Institutional Setting; 22 in Hospital; and 1 at Other Institution.
Since the start of the pandemic there have been 18, 655 deaths involving Covid in Scotland. Covid was the main cause in 14, 695 of them.

Fiona Grahame







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