New data shows Edinburgh continues to have the worst record for Covid vaccinations in Scotland, as Humza Yousaf announced the programme could be ramped up in the coming weeks.
The latest Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows that the capital sits bottom of tables, with just 55.4 per cent of residents vaccinated with the first dose.
Glasgow is second bottom with 58.3 and Aberdeen is third with 61.7 per cent of residents vaccinated with the first dose.
For all the latest coronavirus news please see our live blog here
Again for second doses, Edinburgh is second bottom with 30.7 per cent of people vaccinated, sitting just above Glasgow with 30.6 per cent.
Edinburgh’s poor performances on the vaccination tables has been blamed on the younger population.
The coverage by age group shows that almost everyone in Edinburgh over aged 50 has now been vaccinated with the first dose but there is a lot of ground to be made up with younger people.
The tables show that 64.2 per cent of 40-49 year-olds have been vaccinated with their first jag
For 30-39 year-olds that figures is just 21.3 per cent.
And only 14.1 per cent of 18-29 year-olds have had the their first dose.
Meanwhile, Humza Yousaf said there is a possibility of “maximising” vaccine rollout, particularly of second doses.
Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show: “The really important message I took from the Public Health England study was that actually the effectiveness of the vaccines drops a little if it’s just after the first dose, that enhances the importance of the second dose.
“In my first few days as Health Secretary I met with a number of people involved in the vaccine rollout - I’m actually due to get my vaccination first dose tomorrow myself - and having discussed it with them, I do believe there is a possibility of maximising our vaccine rollout, particularly the second doses, amongst those priority groups.
“So while we’re doing extremely well with the vaccine rollout, I think there is room in the coming weeks to increase the number of vaccines that we’re administering per day and per week.”
