| Good morning, Welcome to Wednesday's newsletter from The Scotsman. We've got some positive news for you all today. Before we begin, don't forget until Friday we're offering 30% off all digital subscriptions. That means it's only £2.10 for the first month to get unlimited access to thousands of Scottish news stories. Your support keeps us sustainable and allows us to produce more stories that matter to you. Try us today here. Covid-19 vaccine approved for use ‘next week’ in UK In what may be the most important development in the Covid-19 pandemic so far, The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for use in the UK – and health officials said the vaccine will be made available “from next week”. Could this be the beginning of the end? We certainly hope so. Who in Scotland will get the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine first? Read the full story from our health correspondent Elsa Maishman here. You can join leading experts from Scotland's public health sector tomorrow at our 2020 Life Sciences conference. With the latest vaccine news, there will be much to discuss. The event is free and you can view the agenda here. Snow alerts issued It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Scots are preparing for an influx of wintry weather today after the Met Office predicted snow and ice across much of the country in the next few days. Forecasters said: “Snow showers and icy stretches are likely to bring some travel disruption Wednesday night into Thursday.” Find out if your area can expect a flurry of snowfall, here. Opinion: Nicola Sturgeon used NHS as a pawn in the SNP's politics The news that Nicola Sturgeon will offer a £500 bonus to Scotland's NHS workers has provoked criticism from the opposition. In today's opinion section Pamela Nash argues the SNP issued the giveaway alongside a grievance. She writes: "A grievance was deliberately attached to the Nationalists’ announcement of a £500 payment by requesting that the UK government make it tax-free, rather than actually using the powers which are at their disposal to implement the policy. "With income tax revenues devolved, the government can set the £500 at a higher gross level, ensuring workers receive a net amount of £500 and the tax revenues then flow directly back to the Scottish government. "It would cost the government the same, but it wouldn’t give them a grievance." Do you agree with this or do you think Ms Nash is way off the mark? Have your say in our comment section. School holidays decision imminent Scottish ministers hope to decide this week if the Christmas school holidays will be extended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, amid demands for urgent clarity. The First Minister said she hopes an announcement can be made “sometime over the course of this week to give parents due notice”. Find out about the current school holiday plans and how they may change, here. Thanks for reading, Sam Shedden, [email protected] | 