Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed today that the newly approved Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine will be rolled out in Scotland from next week.
Earlier today, the Oxford University and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was approved by regulators for use in the UK after being given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The UK Government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine - enough to vaccinate 50 million people, and the First Minister confirmed that the new vaccine will be given to Scots from Monday 4 January.
The new vaccine differs from the current Pfizer jab as it is easier to store and the second dose of the Oxford-Astrazeneca can be given up to 12 weeks after the first, rather than three.
Speaking live from parliament today, the First Minister said: "We have been preparing for the deployment of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine for some time and I can confirm that it will be administered in Scotland from Monday.
"More than 92,000 people have already received their first shot of the Pfizer vaccine.
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"But today’s news means that more people will get their first dose of a Covid vaccine sooner than anticipated."
The news comes as Nicola Sturgeon also said that she can't rule out tougher restrictions being brought in to Scotland as cases continue to soar.
