Covid-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 vaccination programme

The UK has launched its largest mass-vaccination programme, aimed at protecting millions of people from Covid-19.

The independent regulatory body MHRA (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has now approved three COVID-19 vaccines for use by the UK Government.

This includes the Oxford -AstraZeneca vaccine of which 100 million doses have been ordered; the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which the UK government has ordered 40 million doses and also the Moderna vaccine of which 17 million doses have been ordered. Each vaccine needs two doses. 

Trials have shown the Moderna vaccine to be 94.5% effective, the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to be 95% effective and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been shown to be around 70% effective, however it is far easier to distribute than the other two vaccines.

Welsh Government COVID-19 vaccination strategy

Vaughan Gething stated: 

We are in a very serious situation with the pandemic in Wales currently.  The vaccine offers hope for the future but we still have a long journey ahead. 

On the 11 January 2021 Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services announced the national COVID-19 vaccination strategy. 

This included setting out a timeline of which groups will be vaccinated by:

  • By mid-February - all care home residents and staff; frontline health and social care staff; everyone over 70 and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable will have been offered vaccination. 
  • By the Spring  – vaccination will have been offered to all the other phase one priority groups. This is everyone over 50 and everyone who is at-risk because they have an underlying health condition.
  • By the Autumn – vaccination will have been offered to all other eligible adults in Wales, in line with any guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). 

How will people be vaccinated? 

People will be vaccinated at mass vaccination sites across the country, at local GP practices and community pharmacies, as well as at hospitals. 

When you are eligible for the vaccine (on Public Health Wales), you’ll be invited to receive the vaccine. People in care homes and those who are housebound will receive the vaccine in their homes.

The Welsh Government has said that vaccinating the population with a safe and effective vaccine will:

  • protect people from COVID-19
  • enable us to lift restrictions
  • help us to return to a more normal life

In North Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will be using up to 19 vaccination centres as well as doctors surgeries, mobile immunisation teams and the military to roll-out the vaccine quickly.

The Health Board said:

We will continue to deliver the vaccine from our MVCs and HVCs. The aim is to reach as many people as quickly as possible, particularly those group identified as being most vulnerable. The supply of vaccines we receive will also continue to increase in coming weeks to help us do this. We are also starting to deliver the vaccine with the support of our primary care partners, and we will share more information about this in the coming weeks. As previously stated, this is particularly important given the large area we cover in North Wales. This will be supported by working with community pharmacy teams, who can provide further opportunities for people to get their vaccine as close to home as possible."

Vaccination Centres (BCUHB)

Mass Vaccination Centres (MVCs): located at the three rainbow hospitals – which are based in Bangor, Deeside and Llandudno.

Hospital Vaccination Centres (HVCs): Ysbyty Gwynedd, Glan Clwyd Hospital and Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

To boost this, there are also going to be local vaccination centres (LVCs) that will help make the vaccine more accessible when people are called to receive their COVID-19 jab.

Flintshire and Wrexham LVCs 

  • Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University, Mold Road, Wrrexham, LL11 2AW
  • Plas Madoc Leisure Centre, Llangollen Road, Acrefair, Wrexham, LL14 3HL
  • Theatre Clwyd, Raikes Lane, Mold, CH7 1YA

Further information

COVID-19 vaccine side effects

The NHS has said that the vast majority of people will experience mild side effects that should not last longer than a week. These include: 

  • a sore arm where the vaccine was injected
  • feeling tired or fatigued 
  • headache
  • feeling achy
  • feeling or being sick

If your symptoms get worse then call 111. 

Allergic reactions 

An extremely small number of people have had an allergic reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine, this means that if you have previously had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) then you should tell your healthcare staff.

Serious allergic reactions are rare. If you do have a reaction to the vaccine, it usually happens in minutes. Staff giving the vaccine are trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately. 

Vaccine statistics (31.03.21)

  • 1,413,710 people have been given their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccines in Wales (44.8% of the population)

  • 72% of care home residents have received the full course of the vaccine and 78.5% of all healthcare workers have had the full course.

  • 424,016 people had so far received their second dose (13.4% of the population). 

  • 42.1% of 75 to 79-year-olds and 46.5% of 70 to 74-year-olds have had both doses.

 

  • Betsi Cadwaladr had completed the most full vaccine courses - 62,179 by 14 March and Powys the highest proportion (7.3%).

Last updated 31/03/21

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