Coronavirus in Scotland: Health Secretary Jeane Freeman to make statement on vaccine rollout

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman is due to make a statement on Thursday to give more details about plans for the rollout of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Ms Freeman will be speaking around 2.40pm in the Scottish Parliament to lay out current plans to distribute the vaccine.

The UK Government has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which has seen a nearly 95 per cent success rate, with 10 million doses due before Christmas.

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Previously, Ms Freeman has said that the vaccine will be divided between the devolved nations proportionately to the populations.

This translates to enough of the Pfizer vaccine for 400,000 Scots before Christmas.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously expressed confidence that Scotland's health boards will be ready and able to deliver a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available.

Speaking at FMQs last week, Ms Sturgeon told the Parliament a vaccine programme will be led by the Scottish Government but carried out by health boards.

However, Scotland's Finance Secretary has warned there is uncertainty about how the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine will be paid for.

Kate Forbes told Holyrood's Finance Committee the Scottish Government does not yet know how much the distribution of a vaccine will cost or whether it will get any funding from the UK Government to pay for it.

She said there is a "huge amount of work going on right now" to plan for a vaccine rollout but the Scottish Government's current proposal is to fund it using money it has already received through Barnett consequentials.

Additional reporting by PA

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