VACCINE supplies could be flown into the country by military aircraft to avoid Brexit delays at ports, Scotland's Health Secretary has said. 

Jeane Freeman said it is the Scottish Government's understanding that UK ministers have made "contingency plans for the supplies". 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that initial supplies of the vaccine have now arrived safely in Scotland and are being stored securely.

The first vaccinations are on track to be administered on Tuesday, she said.

Appearing on the BBC's Politics Scotland, Ms Freeman was asked about reports that military planes are to fly the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in from Belgium to avoid Brexit delays at the ports. 

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon confirms first Covid vaccines have arrived in Scotland

She said: "That's our understanding, is that the UK Government has made these contingency plans for the supplies in case Brexit does hold things up at the ports. 

"At the moment they are coming in the normal way, but we certainly expect every step to be taken to ensure that supplies are not hindered by any kind of Brexit deal, including a no-deal Brexit, whatever it is.

"We need to get these supplies, but we also need to get other medicines into the country.

READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: 777 new cases in 24 hours with 22 new deaths

"There are many important medicines, not least medicines that we use in ICU and our acute hospitals that we need to ensure come regularly."

The Observer newspaper reported that tens of millions of doses of the vaccine manufactured in Belgium will be flown to the UK by military aircraft under contingency plans being developed by the UK Government.