PREPARATION for the "single largest public health vaccination in modern times" are underway in Fife however health chiefs have warned that patience will be required once the programme can get under way.

Members of NHS Fife Board were given an update at their meeting last week from their director of pharmacy and medicines, Scott Gordon.

The national vaccination roll out could start from early this month and plans are being put in place for it being implemented across Fife.

"It is a fast pace situation we are in and I suppose the context of this is we are trying to vaccinate and will vaccinate the population of Fife," said Mr Gordon. "It is the single largest public health vaccination in modern times.

"The cabinet secretary delivered a statement to Parliament last Thursday and set out progress to date from a national perspective. She mentioned within that statement the delivery framework.

"The focus has been on the prioritisation of phase one cohort so that is our front line health and social care workforce, care home residents and staff and the over 80s within their own home. In addition to that, unpaid carers would also be included in that phase.

"We are taking the most vulnerable of the population, taking a very person centred and locally phased approach to that and that will help us greatly in terms of ensuring the highest update of the vaccine.

"The phasing of the programme is essential in terms of vaccine availability and how that all comes into the country and also in terms of our workforce availability and also the continuation of much needed services across the whole of Fife and the health care partnership.

"We are pulling in the lessons learned from the flu programme to make sure we have the best coverage for our population."

Assessments of sites where clinics may take place have already been carried out and freezers have been installed in preparation for the vaccine 's arrival.

NHS Fife chairperson Tricia Marwick welcomed the progress but stressed it was important to realise that the programme will take time.

"A lot of people are so invested in this Covid-19 vaccination because we see the difference it could make to our lives," she said. "It is important we get the message across that the Covid-19 vaccination programme is going to be staged.

"There is the priority of old folk, folk in care homes, the over eighties but for other people, it is not going to be in December and probably not in January either.

"We need to ask people to be patient with us. We will go as fast as is humanly possible to go. We need to manage expectations and that needs to come nationally and needs to come from this board. We need to get the message through and we do not over hype what can be achieved in the first couple of months."