Covid in Scotland: Scotland to begin vaccinating 16 and 17-year-olds

Sixteen and 17-year-olds in Scotland will be offered a first dose of the Covid vaccine as soon as possible, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Many will be able to register for an appointment online from Friday.

Ministers expect everyone in this age group to have been offered a jab by the end of September.

It follows the recommendation of the UK's vaccine advisory body to extend the vaccine roll-out.

Ms Sturgeon said their advice was "good news" and the step forward she had been hoping for.

And she said she hoped the experts would also recommend the vaccine for more young people in the future.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said advice on when to offer a second dose of the vaccine to 16 and 17-year-olds would come later.

Up until now, children over 12 have only been able to get a jab if they have certain health conditions, live with others who are at a high risk or are nearing their 18th birthday.

The only vaccine approved for those under-18 in the UK is Pfizer-BioNTech.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland have also said they will follow the advice of the JCVI and extend the vaccine roll-out to eligible teenagers.

Census data suggests there are about 109,000 16 and 17-year-olds living in Scotland.

From Friday, those who live on the mainland will be able to register their interest in receiving the vaccine at the NHS Inform website.

They will be sent an appointment by text or email.

Those who live in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles will be contacted by the health board and asked to attend clinics.

Drop-in clinics will also be available for 16 and 17-year-olds but their opening date has not yet been confirmed.

Those who do not register an interest or attend a drop-in clinic will be sent an invitation to attend an appointment through the post.

Scotland's national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said the development was "excellent news" and urged people to take comfort from the JCVI's "evidence-based" approach.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime: "My advice, my strong advice, is to have that conversation at home tonight or the next few days and register on Friday.

"It is absolutely the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones."

Prof Leitch said the logistics were still being worked out, as the Pfizer vaccination must be stored in freezers, but he expects the first jabs to be administered in the "next week or two".

"I am hoping to be knocked over in the rush by 16 and 17-year-olds," he added.

Meanwhile Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "Vaccination continues to be the best way to protect yourself and those around you and I urge anyone who is eligible to take up the offer of the vaccine.

"The national vaccination programme has been a huge success and without doubt, represents our best way out of the pandemic."

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: "We will continue to follow the expert JCVI advice and will await the outcome of analysis of data on second doses for this age group and any additional future advice on vaccination for those in the 12-15 age group."

Jillian Evans, the head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme she expected the vaccine roll-out to be extended to younger teenagers.

"The signs to me are that we will be able to vaccinate children as young as 12 - it will be a case of when, not will we," she said.

Some other countries have already been routinely vaccinating children over 12. The US has been doing so from May, as well as some European countries like France and Italy, after the EU gave them the go-ahead. Other countries that are vaccinating children include Brazil, Japan, Israel and Hong Kong.

Last month, the JCVI stopped short of opening up jabs to 16 and 17-year-olds as it wanted time to examine the risks and benefits, as well as reports of rare adverse effects such as inflammation of heart muscles.

The JCVI said earlier: "These are extremely rare and usually occur within a few days of the second dose, typically more in young men.

"Data from the USA suggests that, in males aged 12 to 17 years, 9.8 cases of myocarditis were reported per million first doses given. This rises to 67 per million after the second dose. Most people recovered quickly."

The JCVI said it expected one dose of the vaccine to give good protection against severe illness and hospitalisation in the 16 and 17 age group.