Glasgow residents aged 18-39 could be offered a first dose of a covid vaccine as soon as next week as health bosses try to stop the Indian variant of the virus from spreading across the city.
The jabs will be offered as a priority this week to those living in "affected areas" - centred around the G41, G42, G5, G51, and G52 postcodes in the southside of the council area - with final plans being put in place in the coming days.
It comes as Glasgow may have to remain under level three Covid restrictions for longer than a week, Jason Leitch warned today.
The national clinical director said the situation remained "fragile" as case rates continue to climb, with the latest seven-day average per 100,000 population in the city is 94.5 cases - well above the level two benchmark of 50 cases.
East Renfrewshire has seen its case rate jump to 75.4, overtaking Moray.
The NHS is prioritising those aged 18-39 living in Battlefield, Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Govanhill, Aikenhead, Kingston West and Dumbreck, Maxwell Park, Mosspark, Pollokshields and Strathbungo.
A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said: "NHSGGC is making vaccination appointments available to people aged 18-39 for those living in the affected areas of Glasgow City.
"It is likely that these appointments will be available from next week onwards and we would encourage people in the local communities who are eligible for a vaccination to have it."
The spokeswoman added: "NHSGGC is currently finalising plans to bring forward second doses for those people aged 50 and over in the affected areas of Glasgow City. This is in line with JCVI guidelines of administering a second dose between 8-12weeks after the first.
We would strongly encourage members of the public, particularly those living in the most affected areas of Glasgow, to visit their local asymptomatic testing centre and take a COVID-19 test. This will determine whether members of the public have the virus even if they do not have any symptoms.
"We have made lateral flow home test kits available at all of our test centres, so that people can undertake regular testing at home and we are reviewing options for PCR kits to be made more readily available. People can also order self-use LFD test kits for home delivery via the Scottish Government Universal Testing Offer."
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said today infection rates in every local authority were being monitored and action would be taken to contain outbreaks.
He said: "The last thing we want to do is to have areas going in and out of restrictions like a yo-yo, that's the worst of all possible worlds.
"What we need to try and do is what we're doing in the overwhelming majority of the country which is get to a sustained position of suppression of the virus which then enables us to take the necessary action to relax restrictions."
