Scotland is experiencing one other wave of Covid infections as circumstances of two Omicron variants enhance, a public well being skilled has mentioned.
Professor Linda Bauld, a professor Public Well being on the College of Edinburgh, mentioned the rise in circumstances is partly as a result of Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 and a "small however not important" rise within the variety of folks in hospital.
Nonetheless, she mentioned that vaccines are working properly within the overwhelming majority of individuals and are making a distinction between the danger from an infection and the danger of extreme illness.
Newest knowledge from the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS) confirmed that round one in 40 folks in Scotland had Covid-19 within the week ending June 2, up from one in 50 the earlier week.
Professor Bauld informed BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I feel it is fairly clear to me from among the knowledge we have seen that we're definitely in one other wave of an infection, if not already it is going to be quickly and that definitely appears to be the case in quite a few nations, and that isn't a giant shock as a result of we did anticipate we'd have a rising stage of infections each three or 4 months probably, that is what worldwide colleagues have mentioned.
"It is likely to be stunning to folks although as a result of it is the summer time, and so they're used to listening to from us (that) the climate is healthier so individuals are extra outdoors and subsequently we cut back the dangers by means of our behaviour.
"That is true, however what we have is Omicron and a unique sort of it, BA.4 and 5 - there's these Omicron sub-lineages which appear to be rising in quantity within the UK and I feel that is a part of the reason why we're starting to see extra circumstances, and we've seen a small however not important rise within the variety of folks in hospital as properly."
The professor mentioned that vaccines provide good safety towards extreme illness, however she thinks it possible that the provide of a booster jab could also be prolonged to a wider vary of teams within the autumn, past what the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has beneficial.
The JCVI is recommending care house residents and workers, frontline care staff, these aged 65 and over and adults aged between 16 and 64 who're clinically susceptible ought to be given one other dose of Covid-19 vaccine within the autumn.
Professor Bauld mentioned: "Your safety would not fall off a cliff, it wanes regularly. Your safety towards getting contaminated really wanes fairly shortly and the vaccines are usually not sterilising so they aren't defending us towards the danger of an infection.
"Your danger of extreme illness... I feel even past months after your dose, you will not be having such a sturdy antibody response however different bits of the immune system, B and T cells, are nonetheless working towards getting very unwell.
"In older teams whose immunity would not final as lengthy the waning appears faster. Will we've extra folks vaccinated within the autumn? Sure, for the over 65s and immuno-supressed, that is what JCVI says. Whether or not they may lengthen it to these of us in our 50s and different teams is one thing they're reviewing.
"Should you have been to ask me what I feel, I feel it is possible they may change that eligibility, however we'll wait to listen to.
"We have to give folks as a lot safety as we are able to and we're, like influenza, going to have I feel common vaccinations sooner or later for Covid-19, not for everybody however for a lot of teams."
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