British Army to establish 80 new vaccine centres in Scotland
British Army soldiers will help to launch 80 new Covid-19 vaccine centres throughout Scotland over the next four weeks.
The deployment follows a ‘patchy’ vaccine roll-out in Scotland, according to the British Medical Association.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said it had deployed 98 soldiers to identify suitable sites and support vaccine deliveries.
Matt Hancock said: “British Army soldiers are helping establish 80 new coronavirus vaccine centres across Scotland, part of our national drive to continue vaccinating across the UK.”
Over 200,000 Scots have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, with ministers hoping to vaccinate every adult by the autumn.
Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said it was the largest mass vaccination programme Scotland had ever undertaken.
“This deployment will see 11, eight-person multi-disciplinary teams providing fast and assured site preparation over a four-week period, identifying and operationalising vaccine sites before handing them over to NHS Scotland staff,” she said.