Older Scots aged over 75 and the vulnerable will get a fourth covid booster jab within weeks.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced the decision following advice from experts and Holyrood counterpart Humza Yousaf confirmed it will apply in Scotland too.
Javid said: "All four parts of the UK intend to follow the JCVI’s advice. We know immunity to Covid-19 begins to wane over time. That’s why we’re offering a spring booster to those people at higher risk of serious Covid-19 to make sure they maintain a high level of protection. It’s important that everyone gets their top-up jabs as soon as they’re eligible."
Adults aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed will be eligible.
These people will be invited as they become eligible from at least 24 weeks after their last booster, with the first groups receiving appointments from the second week in March.
The announcement comes as Boris Johnson ran into trouble with his plans to repeal all major Covid rules in England.
A cabinet meeting to sign off the end of covid self-isolation rules was delayed by a row between Javid and the chancellor Rishi Sunak over funding for continued testing for the virus among NHS staff.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We know that these high priority groups are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and I therefore welcome the further advice from the JCVI and confirm Scotland will offer a further dose to these people from next month.
“Vaccination has been our most effective tool against coronavirus, and that will continue to be the case. I continue to encourage everyone to receive the doses they are eligible for as and when they become available.”
Scotland's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Nicola Steedman said:
“Our vaccination programme has been highly successful, with 85% of the eligible population having had a booster or third dose vaccination and the World Health Organisation estimating some 28,000 lives saved to date in Scotland.
“However, the degree of protection offered by the vaccines wanes over time, which is why booster vaccination is needed to maintain the best protection against COVID-19 for those at highest risk of severe effects of the virus. The additional booster dose will improve your level of protection significantly and is the best way to protect your health and those around you.
“The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease, hospitalisation and mortality, arising from COVID-19. I encourage anyone who is still to have any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.”
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