MORE than one million people in Scotland have now received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

The milestone was achieved yesterday as the programme reached more than a fifth of the 4.5 million people who will be offered a vaccine.

It comes following the opening of mass vaccination sites at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and the P&J Live in Aberdeen, and other large facilities across the country.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This is an important milestone in the biggest vaccination programme ever delivered in Scotland and I would like to thank everyone involved and all those who have taken up their offer of a vaccine.

“We have now given first doses to more than a million people in the groups which were prioritised to address 99% of preventable deaths associated with Covid-19.

“Scotland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme is delivering ahead of our expectations.

“Our aim is to vaccinate as many people as possible with both their first and second doses as quickly as possible.

“The speed at which we can do this depends on supply and we expect a dip in supplies UK-wide towards the end of this month.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had earlier told MSPs at First Minister’s Questions that 985,569 people had received their first dose as of yesterday morning, up 57,447 from Tuesday’s figure.

She said the vaccination figure is “nothing short of extraordinary”, given the severe weather in large parts of Scotland in recent days.

Sturgeon added that 99.8% of residents in older people’s care homes have now had their first dose of a vaccine, and that “at least 96%” of those aged over 80 living in the community have had their initial injection, as well as 80% of those aged 75-79 and 45% of people aged 70 to 74.

However, she also announced 50 deaths from coronavirus had been recorded in the previous 24 hours, as well as 803 positive tests.

This brings the total number of fatalities under that measure to 6551.

The First Minister said 188,345 people had tested positive in Scotland, up from 187,542 the previous day.

The daily test positivity rate was 4.8%, down from 7.2% on Tuesday.

There were 1542 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 76 in 24 hours, and 113 patients were in intensive care – an increase of one.

It came as a drive-through mass coronavirus vaccination centre started to receive patients.

Mary Foster, of Musselburgh, was one of the first people to be given a jag at the Queen Margaret University site in the East Lothian town.

The centre has been set up in a university car park and is initially capable of vaccinating around 720 people every day at 12 stations, seven days a week.

Foster, a retired home help worker, said: “I think this is great, I’m really excited and I think people who don’t want to be vaccinated should think again.”

Teams of vaccinators will deliver the jags while patients remain in their own car.

It is the fourth mass vaccination centre to open in the NHS Lothian area, following those at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Strathbrock Health Centre and the Royal Highland Centre.

Pat Wynne, director of community care at the health board, said: “The opening of our only drive-through mass vaccination centre is a big day for both NHS Lothian and for East Lothian.

“It is a unique site for us and it will allow us to deliver more vaccines to the people we serve.”