Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Laura Ferguson

Covid vaccine to be rolled out to children after Pfizer jab approved for over-12s by health agency

Children over the age of 12 could soon receive the coronavirus vaccine in a bid to further protect schools and reduce transmission.

Speaking to the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the Scottish Government will "move as quickly as possible" to vaccinate youngsters after the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for use among children aged 12 to 15.

The First Minister confirmed the government is now waiting for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to approve the advice for the age group before going ahead with vaccination plans.

She continued: "Vaccination may well be an important way of giving children greater protection, minimising any further disruption to schooling, and further reducing community transmission of the virus.

Follow our live blog for all the latest updates on covid in Scotland

"And so I can confirm that if the JCVI recommends the use of the vaccine for children aged 12 and over, we will move as quickly as possible to implement the advice. For the moment, however, we continue to focus on vaccinating all adults as quickly as possible.

3,403,866 people have now received a first dose - meaning almost exactly three quarters of the adult population have now received a first jab six months on from the beginning of the country's vaccination programme.

2,282,203 people have also received a second vaccine, meaning more than half adult population is now fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, 695 cases were recorded overnight, making up 5% of all tests carried out.

121 people are currently in hospital with a positive coronavirus test - one less than yesterday, while 12 people are in intensive care - the same as yesterday's figure.

No deaths of people with a positive Covid-19 test were recorded in the past 24 hours, meaning Scotland's death toll remains at 7,677..

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.