When people under 50 will get vaccinated against Covid-19 is a “big unknown” according to Jason Leitch.

The National Clinical Director said that the plan just now is to vaccinate the over 50s as that is where the greatest risk of death is.

He said that it is hoped that the under 50s, with no underlying health conditions, would begin to be vaccinated by the summer of next year but it was not yet certain.

Professor Leitch, when asked when under 50s would be vaccinated, said: “The fact is that’s the biggest unknown.

“Once we get to the under 50s we need big numbers of the vaccine.

We hoe that is in the first half of next year. That would depend on AstraZenecca getting us the vaccine.”

He added that 99% of mortality is in the 50s and upwards.

Another 41 deaths were registered of people who had tested positive in the last 28 days.

There were 966 new positive tested cases of coronavirus. Of the total 258 were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area.

There were 965 people in hospital a reduction of 17 on the day before and there were 65 people in intensive care a reduction of four.