Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish Government is ready to start covid-19 vaccinations as soon as supplies arrive.
Her comment came as a covid-19 vaccine has been approved by the UK health regulator and is set to be rolled out across the country from the early next week.
The vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK, paving the way for mass vaccination to start.
Responding to the news, the First Minister tweeted: "The best news in a long time. Scotgov ready to start vaccinations as soon as supplies arrive".
A UK Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use.
“This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness."
