Scotland's coronavirus vaccine programme confirmed with timetable for first doses

Scotland's Health Secretary has announced more details of the mass covid vaccination plan that will be rolled out from next week.

Jeane Freeman said the vaccine can be packed down into smaller pack sizes and so can be taken to care home residents and older citizens.

She also said 16 and 17 year olds who have underlying health conditions will be vaccinated, but the jab is not advised for pregnant women, or women who plan to become pregnant in the next three months.

It was announced this week that regulators had approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use in the UK.

Scotland will initially receive 65,600 doses and the mass immunisation programme will begin on Tuesday.

Residents in care homes for older adults, people aged 80 and over, and frontline health workers, will be among the first to be offered the vaccine.

Freeman today updated MSPs on the rollout plan.

The Pfizer vaccine has storage and transportation requirements, specifically relating to a low temperature.

Concerns have been expressed about whether the vaccine would be able to be taken to care homes.

Jeane Freeman (PA)

In her statement, Freeman said it had been confirmed that the Pfizer vaccine can be transported in an unfrozen state for up to 12 hours and stored undiluted for up to 5 days. 

In relation to care home residents and older citizens, she said:  "So in effect, we can take the vaccine to them or close to them and we will begin that exercise from the 14th December."

Freeman also said, on the basis that Scotland receives the vaccine supply "we expect", the first cohort should be able to be vaccinated by the spring.

Freeman's statement came after Nicola Sturgeon was quizzed about the rollout plan by Scottish Tory MSP Ruth Davidson at Holytood.

The First Ministers said: “What is absolutely beyond any question is that the safe delivery of this vaccine is the absolute priority and it is in all of our interests to make sure, in line with the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisations) advice we have received, that elderly care home residents get vaccinated just as quickly as is possible.”