NICOLA Sturgeon has said she will take the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine despite emerging links to rare and potentially fatal blood clots. 

The First Minister, 50, said she had “no hesitation at all” about getting the jag at her appointment next week as the risk was “very, very, very, very, very small”.

She said it was more danagerous crossing the road.

Her comments followed the announcement yesterday that the under-30s will now be the Pfizer and Moderna jags after the AstraZeneca one was linked to clots.

A review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency found that after 20m doses had been administered, 79 people suffered rare blood clots, 19 of whom had died.

The risk of a clot is therefore about four in a million, with a one in a million chance of dying. 

Two-thirds of the rare clots were seen in women.

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The regulator said it was not yet proof of a casual link but a connection was "getting firmer".

Speaking to the Holyrood press lobby today, Ms Sturgeon was asked if she had concerns about receiving the AstraZeneca shot herself.

She said: “No, I will be absolutely happy to take the AstraZeneca vaccine if that’s what’s offered to me.

“My vaccination is a week today. I don’t know which vaccine I’ll get offered. But if I’m offered the AstraZeneca vaccine I will take the AstraZeneca vaccine, and I will not have any hesitation in doing so.

“The risk, if I can call it that, that has been assessed and led to the advice yesterday, is very very very very very small.

“The blood clotting issue is very very very rare. 

“If you get the AstraZeneca vaccine today or tomorrow or in my case possibly a week today, it will be one of the least risky things you do in the day.

“Because the risk is probably lower than crossing the road, or things like that.

“Given the risks, particularly the older you get, of Covid, the benefits of being vaccinated with AstraZeneca or any vaccine vastly outweigh any minimal risk that might arise from it.

“I have no hesitation at all and will have no hesitation in being vaccinated with it if that is what is offered to me.”

READ MORE: Sister of man who died from clot after AstraZeneca jag urges people to keep getting it

Asked if the target for vaccinating all adults by end of July would change in light of the changes for under-30s, Ms Sturgeon said: “We’re hopeful at the moment it won’t have a significant impact on the end of July target date.

“Our modellers are just working through the supply projections, the implications of not giving Astra Zeneca to the under-30s and exactly what that means in terms of the timetable.

“But we’re hopeful it won’t have any material impact and any delay as a result of yesterday’s decision will be very short. But we’ll set out a more definitive estimate of that once that modelling work has been completed.

“The good thing is of course we have alternatives to Astra Zeneca in the shape of Pfizer and now of course Moderna, which is in smaller quantities.

“I’m hopeful we will remain broadly on track for that end of July deadline.”