JEANE Freeman has revealed the locations of Scotland's first mass vaccination centres. 

Updating MSPs on the Covid jag roll-out, the Health Secretary said Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, Ravenscraig sports facility, Queen Margaret University, and Edinburgh International Conference Centre should be up and running by the start of March.

She said they would initially open between 8am and 8pm, but could, if needed, run 24/7.

It was part of the plan to start inoculating an average of 400,000 people a week by the end of next month.

In her statement, the Health Secretary paid tribute to those taking part in the “national effort” to vaccinate four and a half million Scots, including frontline health staff and members of the armed forces.

Freeman told MSPs that so far, more than 80% of care home residents in Scotland have now had the first dose of their vaccination. 

Freeman said: “Between December 8 when we began national vaccination programme until the January 12, we have given first-dose vaccination to just over 80% of care home residents and 55% of care home staff, just under 52% of frontline NHS and social care staff and in the eight days since the 4th of January just over 2% of those aged 80 and over living in the community, a programme that is scaling up rapidly from this week.

“By the first week in February, we will complete 100% first-dose vaccination for all those groups. ”

She said 191,965 people have received their first dose and 2090 their second dose of the vaccine, based on the latest information available at 8.30am on Wednesday.

A further 155,025 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 42,100 of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine are either in transit or storage, she added.

She said Scotland expects to take delivery of supplies of the Moderna vaccine by the end of April.

Meanwhile, the managing director of Rangers has written to the UK and Scottish Government to offer Ibrox Stadium as a vaccination centre.

Paul Murray said the club stood “ready to do everything we can to support the national effort, to vaccinate the population.”

He added: “We have large areas around the stadium normally used for matchday parking, and we have other facilities which could also be of use. 

“As a club, we have ongoing and excellent relations with Police Scotland, with whom we regularly work to ensure the safe and efficient management of people and vehicles.”