More people in North Wales have received Covid vaccination than anywhere else in Wales according to new data

New figures seen by Deeside.com show that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) has administered more than 10,500 vaccine jabs so far, the highest number of any health board in Wales.

The data published by BCUHB and circulated to officials and politicians this morning shows the health board vaccinated 2,234 people on Thursday and 2,448 on Wednesday.

Public Health Wales published its weekly vaccination update yesterday, it showed that just 5,884 had received the jab in North Wales up to the week ending January 3.

That prompted criticism over the speed of the rollout of the vaccine in the region, the Welsh Conservatives stated that a “postcode lottery” is starting to emerge.

However claims of vaccine disparity were rejected by Health Minister Vaughan Gething who said that all parts of Wales will receive their fair share of the coronavirus vaccines.

The new BCUHB data shows has 10,568 vaccinations have been administered in North Wales.

Aneurin Bevan health board which covers Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and South Powys has administered the second highest number of vaccinations in Wales with 10,115 given since the start of the programme.

Earlier this week the BBC Local Democracy Service reported that BCUHB had outlined plans to rapidly “accelerate” roll-out of vaccinations across the region after initial “supply chain” problems.

This week the board is receiving 5,000 doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca inoculation and more than 8,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will eventually be using up to 19 mass vaccination centres, GP surgeries, mobile immunisation teams and the military to increase roll-out of both Pfizer/BioNtech and newly approved Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccines.

Commenting earlier this week on the vaccine role out, a BCUHB spokesperson said: “We want to reassure people across North Wales that we have a robust and well-considered plan to administer the vaccine to all of our priority groups as quickly and as safely as possible.

“Over the course of our Covid-19 vaccination programme, we will receive an allocation in proportion to the size of our priority population.

“We have commissioned significantly more mass vaccination centre and hospital vaccination centre sites than any other health board and have well developed plans in place to introduce local vaccination centres and mobile vaccination teams.

“We are very well placed to accelerate our roll-out of the vaccine, taking advantage of the greater volumes we expect to receive in the coming weeks.

“We now have both the increased availability of vaccines as well as more staff and vaccination sites to help us reach more people, more quickly.”

BCUHB is set to contact 300 people aged 80 and over to be given the jab at mass vaccination centres this week as a system test.

The Oxford/Astra Zeneca jab will be targeted at those aged over 80 who are inpatients across acute and community sites and care home residents. The board is also expected to vaccinate around 650 in-patients this week.

Members of the public are also reminded that when it is their turn for vaccination, they will be contacted by the NHS with appointment details.