VACCINES for Covid-19 have been given to more than one quarter of people over 16 in the Glasgow City Council area.

New figures show 140,381 individuals – or 26.4% - within the council boundaries have now had a jag.

Under the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, over 30% of people have received a first dose of the vaccine – a total of 303,829 people.

Health secretary Jeane Freeman has said, supplies permitting, all over 18s will be vaccinated by the end of July.

The roll-out will continue to be based on age, not on employment.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) is now sharing daily updates on the vaccination roll out across the country.

The 30.8% of people over 16 vaccinated under the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board is lower than most other health boards across the country, but higher than NHS Lothian at 28.5%.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Shetland are both over 45% while NHS Western Isles has vaccinated more than 48%.

However, the PHS publication warns “areas with higher rates of older or clinically vulnerable people will have more individuals in the highest priority groups”.

The vaccine rollout is following the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

At Friday’s government briefing on Covid-19, the health secretary said once the first phase, for all those 50 and over and those with health conditions, was completed, the rest of the adult population would be vaccinated.

Phase one is planned to end by April 15. Freeman said the JCVI advise age is still the most significant factor and is the “quickest and most effective way”.

She said after all over 50 had been vaccinated, the programme would move to the 40 to 49 age group, followed by 30 to 39 and then 18 to 29-year-olds.

“The JCVI is clear the greatest risk lies with age, not where you work.

“It’s the right thing for this government to follow that well thought through clinical advice.”

Diane Stockton, programme lead for vaccination surveillance at PHS, said: “Together with our partners in local boards and government, PHS will continue to provide crucial information on the numbers of people being vaccinated to help inform the roll-out of Scotland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme.

“Vaccination is a critical part of the public health programme and will play a vital role in keeping the virus under control.

“It will take time to establish the impact of the vaccines on transmission of the virus, so it’s important people who have been vaccinated continue to follow FACTS at all times.”

Across Scotland, the latest statistics show there were 581 new positive cases recorded. There were 924 people in hospital, down by 43, and 80 patients in intensive care, down by 9.

Another 27 deaths were registered of a person who tested positive for Covid-19 in the previous 28 days. The total deaths are now at 7111.