Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccinations to begin in Scotland from Monday
Giving a Covid-19 update at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said the new vaccine approval would allow Scots to be vaccinated much more quickly.
The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine doses can be given 12 weeks apart, and Ms Sturgeon announced that guidance has changed around the time between doses of the Pfizer vaccine, saying they can be given 12 weeks apart as well.
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Hide AdThis will allow the Scottish Government to focus on giving a first dose to more people, expediating the vaccination process.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed 523,000 doses of the vaccine would be available in the UK from Monday.
This is around 40,000 doses for Scotland, which receives the product at a proportionate rate to population.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said on Wednesday morning that NHS and Scottish Government staff would work through the New Year period to get the new vaccine ready to roll out “as soon as possible”.
She said a “brighter spring” may be coming in the wake of the approval.
Ms Freeman previously said the new jab could be given to those over the age of 80 by GPs from the beginning of January.
She said the approval of this second vaccine would make it easier to vaccinate people in a wider range of settings.
Mr Hancock told the Commons the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was a “world-first” and was a “huge British success story”.
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