Jeane Freeman said if UK regulators approved the use of the AstraZeneca jab by the end of 2020 it could be rolled out across the country from January 11.
It comes as the SNP minister also confirmed that more than 56,000 Scots have already received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine - and should get their second dose by the end of next month.Freeman told MSPs at Holyrood today the discover of a new Covid strain in the UK was a "bitter blow" but insisted the country now had better tools with which to fight it.NHS workers who deal with patients, care home residents and private care staff were the first groups of people to be vaccinated this month.With the impending arrival of a second vaccine, the next group of people to be prioritised for.