Getty ImagesHealth Secretary Neil Gray has insisted there are “adequate stocks” of the flu vaccine amid a “challenging” strain of the illness.
Gray told the ‘s Radio Scotland Breakfast programme that the current strain is causing significant illness and urged those eligible to get the vaccine.
He said over a million adults, and 400,000 children, received the flu jab between September and November.
It comes as official figures show flu cases across Scotland jumped by 45% in a week, rising from 555 to 805 laboratory-confirmed cases.
The health secretary said: “We have no concern on vaccination supplies across Scotland,” adding there is more than “adequate stocks” of the jab.
He added: “The challenge we face this year is the early and fast rise of flu cases.
“We know that the vaccine does stop hospitalisations, it does have a good effect at suppressing both the illness that people suffer and the spread, so my encouragement has been for people that are eligible to pick up the vaccine to do so.”
In the week ending 23 November, the infection rate stood at 14.5 per 100,000 people – an increase from 10 per 100,000 the previous week, according to Public Health Scotland (PHS).
Hospital admissions have also increased from 279 to 391, as has test positivity, rising from 11.0% to 15.8%.
Dr Claire Cameron, a consultant at Public Health Scotland, also told Radio Scotland Breakfast that there is enough vaccine in the NHS system.
She said that he vaccination programme was planned “months in advance” and is continuing.
“We know that in the national programme there is sufficient stock. I can’t comment on private pharmacies.
“But, for people who are invited as part of the national programme, there is vaccine there for you and we very much encourage you to come forward to have your appointment and book your appointment if you haven’t done so already.”
Is the vaccine effective against the current flu strain?
She added the vaccine was doing a “good job against severe illness”, despite claims that it wasn’t as effective during the current strain.
Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the NHS was in a “constant state of crisis” and was facing a “disastrous” winter and claimed vaccine rates were down compared to last winter.
She said: “With things already at crisis point in October, we are at risk of a disastrous winter if the SNP doesn’t act.
“We need a real plan to keep Scots safe this winter and ease the pressure on A&E, including by ramping up the rate of flu vaccinations.”
Responding to the flu figures, Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “With a mounting flu epidemic, the situation is likely to get worse over the winter months.
“Unless the nationalists act now, our NHS will buckle at the peak of winter. John Swinney needs to get his house in order and back our plans to cut bureaucracy, ditch the pointless pen-pushers and surge resources to the frontline.”