Humza Yousaf receives first dose of Covid vaccine

The health secretary urged people to attend their Covid vaccination appointments.

Newly appointed Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf has received his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The Glasgow Pollok MSP received his first jab at Caird Hall in Dundee before urging people to attend their appointments.

Yousaf also indicated that there is a possibility to increase the number of vaccines being administered across the country.

Speaking after being given the jab, Yousaf praised the work of staff in the health service, saying: “Thanks to everybody involved, the vaccination programme has gone brilliant and I feel very lucky and really privileged to have had the first dose.”

He continued: “We have seen, I’m afraid to say, a slight increase in those who are not attending appointments.

“So my really strong message, my urging, my plea, would be to please attend and if you can’t attend the appointment you’re given of course you do have details where you can switch appointments, rearrange and reschedule, which is really important to do.”

On Sunday, the health secretary said there was scope to increase the rollout of the vaccination in Scotland.

He told the BBC: “I do believe there is a possibility of maximising our vaccine rollout, particularly the second doses, amongst those priority groups.

“So, while we’re doing extremely well with the vaccine rollout, I think there is room in the coming weeks to increase the number of vaccines that we’re administering per day and per week.”

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