The Scottish Government will act “very swiftly” to extend Covid vaccines to primary school children if that is formally recommended by experts, the Deputy First Minister has pledged.
John Swinney said ministers at Holyrood are currently awaiting final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the issue.
Wales has become the first country in the UK to confirm it will offer the jag to children aged five to 11.
Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan announced the move on Tuesday after considering the “yet to be published” JCVI report.
Mr Swinney, also the Scottish Government’s Covid Recovery Secretary, said ministers in Edinburgh are “certainly paying very close attention to the output of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation”.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “We’ll take careful account of the JCVI advice and come to conclusions when that is formally received by the Government.”
Some children in this age group are already able to be vaccinated, he noted, either because of their own medical conditions or the “clinical vulnerability” of others in their household to Covid.
While he said there is “obviously dialogue” between ministers and the JCVI, the Scottish Government is waiting for “the formalisation of that advice to us”.
But he added: “The assurance I can give you this morning is the Government will work very quickly to implement the advice when it is formally received from the JCVI.
“The Government has been keen to hear this advice from the joint committee and we will act very swiftly to make sure we can implement any recommendations that are made to us.”
His comments came as legal restrictions enforcing measures aimed at halting the spread of coronavirus are being lifted across other parts of the UK.
Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the remaining domestic coronavirus restrictions in England – including the legal requirement to self-isolate – could be lifted within weeks.
In Northern Ireland, coronavirus legal restrictions are being removed and replaced with guidance.
Hospitality and entertainment venues will still be encouraged to use Covid certificates but it will no longer be legally required.
Wales is currently at Alert Level 0, meaning there are no legal limits on the number of people who can meet, including in private homes, public places or at events, and all businesses and premises are open.
Covid passes for indoor and outdoor venues are being scrapped in Wales on Friday, with the requirement to wear face coverings in certain venues ending 10 days later on February 28.
In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will publish a new strategic framework for dealing with Covid on February 22.
The requirement for secondary school pupils and teachers to wear face coverings in class is being dropped from February 28, but these will still be in place in school corridors and other communal areas.
Face coverings are still required in all indoor public spaces for people aged 12 and over, including on public transport and in shops, with the Covid vaccine passport scheme in place in nightclubs and at other large events.
The Scottish Government is moving to extend its Covid powers until September 24.
Asked if Scotland has significantly more restrictions than other nations of the UK, the Deputy First Minister insisted: “I don’t think that’s the case.
“There will be a requirement for face coverings to be worn in public places, obviously these issues are subject to review by the Scottish Government.
“We have set our intention to publish the updated strategic framework, which will be published next week, the Cabinet will be considering that during the course of this week and next.
“Fundamentally the Government has got to have in place a legal framework that enables us to act.
“Covid has not gone away, it has not disappeared, it has not ended, and anyone who puts that argument around is just misleading people.
“Covid is still out there, it is still a significant threat to public health, we have got to proceed with care.”
