Around 38,000 people across the north of Scotland have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
NHS Grampian said it had administered around 24,500 jabs to people in the north-east by 5pm on Thursday night.
The roll-out of the vaccination began in December and is firstly targeting health workers and the most vulnerable to the virus.
Deputy chief executive Adam Coldwells updated NHS Grampian board members and politicians in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
It is the first update on the vaccination programme from the north-east health board.
Mr Coldwells said: “The vaccination programme, for the cohorts defined within wave one, commenced in Grampian in December 2020.
“We have completed some 24,500 vaccinations to date.
“The plan is highly dependent upon vaccine supply, which is anticipated to increase over the coming weeks and months.
“Changes in the vaccine supply may lead to changes in the planning assumptions and therefore the delivery of the plan – (with the) potential to be both faster or slower.”
Meanwhile, more than 9,000 first doses have been given to patients in NHS Highland, more than 2,300 in the Western Isles, a total of 968 in Orkney and 669 in Shetland.
The people vaccinated in Highland include care home residents and staff, members of staff who are working directly with Covid or suspected Covid patients, GPs and vaccinators.
This figure does not yet include the work being deployed through General Practice. The area’s GPs started to vaccinate on January 11 using the AstraZeneca vaccine, with a focus on the priority group of people older than 80 .
Vaccinations are currently scheduled at more than 30 practices, with more to be added. This first priority group of people are due to be completed by February 6. The health board will then move through the other priority groups set out nationally before starting to provide vaccines to the wider population. Anyone due to be vaccinated will be contacted directly.
Professor Boyd Robertson, chairman of NHS Highland, said: “Looking ahead, we expect to have finished first vaccinations in care homes by next week and over 80s and frontline health and care workers by early February. This represents around 30,000 vaccinations, so requires a considerable escalation in our delivery, which we are confident we can fulfil, with the help of Highland Council and other partners, as vaccine supplies increase.”
Highland Council Leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson, added: “The Highland Council is working closely with NHS Highland to support the vaccination programme across the region.
“The council is actively looking at how we can support with access to buildings for vaccinations, fleet support, prioritising staff resource for key tasks and other practical support for our NHS partners to help make getting vaccinated easier. If more assistance is needed locally in vaccination centres or in helping people get to and from their appointment, we will contact those groups already offering their help to us. They have been amazing in the response they have provided already and we are very grateful to them.
“The council’s property team is working hard with partners such as High Life Highland to ensure that community vaccination centres are made available.
“Our thanks go out to staff for their continued hard work and support in these increasingly difficult Covid times.”
In the Western Isles, hospitals and GP surgeries have been used as vaccine centres so far, but as numbers increase, they will soon begin using a local sports centre and community halls.
The first vaccinations of eligible health and social care staff and care home residents have been completed, with vaccinations of the over-80s well underway.
Everyone eligible for the vaccine in the Western Isles will be contacted by telephone to invite them for an appointment, so people are asked not to contact their hospital, health board or GP directly.
NHS Western Isles chief executive Gordon Jamieson said: “Uptake has been very good and we are progressing rapidly with the vaccination of eligible groups.
“I would like to thank everyone who has attended their appointment to date, and to encourage everyone eligible to consider taking the vaccine, which is our best chance of bringing the current pandemic to an end.”