Covid jabs are being rolled out to 12 to 15-year-olds with drop-in centres opening across Scotland this week.
It comes as booster vaccinations for elderly care home residents are also set to get under way, alongside the annual flu jabs, in what was described as "incredibly busy time" for vaccines.
Humza Yousaf spoke about the latest additions to the vaccine programme on Good Morning Scotland.
Speaking about the timescales of the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds the health secretary said children would be vaccinated "as soon as possible".
The jabs will be offered from drop-in clinics which were thought to be the "quickest way to do this."
READ MORE: Glasgow teens and children from 'key groups' to be offered Covid-19 vaccine
He said: "Clearly, it goes almost without saying but I will state it any way that the more people we have and the greater the uptake in and amongst that population, the greater the outcomes in terms of avoiding educational disruption.
"Of course for health reasons as well, not just for the individuals themselves, but for society as a whole.
"We will be encouraging as many as possible to get themselves vaccinated."
He added the effectiveness of the jab will be seen by a reduction in educational disruption, and on an individual level to reduce the risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
NHS Lanarkshire is among the health boards which will offer the vaccine to children over the course of this week.
The health secretary said the booster programmed for the selected priority groups will ensure they get "maximum protection".
"We have an incredibly busy time in terms of vaccinations. We have a flu programme, a booster programme, a 12 to 15-year-old drop-in, but also if you haven't had the covid vaccine and you are not within that 12 to 15-year-old age category we still want you to go get your first or second dose."
He added the next stage of consideration for the JCVI will be whether the rest of the population will receive booster jabs.
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