Nearly 8,000 receive Covid-19 vaccine in Wales as Deeside Rainbow Hospital gears up to become vaccine centre
On 2 December 2020, the first vaccine for use in the UK was approved by the regulator and deployment began on 8 December.
Nearly 8,000 people in Wales have been vaccinated in the first week of the UK’s vaccination programme.
UK government health minister Nadhim Zahawi, tweeted:
“A really good start to the vaccination program. It’s been 7 days and we have done:
England:108,000
Wales: 7,897
Northern Ireland: 4,000.
Scotland:18,000
U.K Total 137,897.
That number will increase as we have operationalised hundreds of PCN (primary care networks)”
Mr Zahawi added: “Transparency is vital as we deliver vaccines across the UK.”
“For now, these figures are provisional.”
“From next week, we will begin to publish weekly figures on the number of vaccines administered.”
A really good start to the vaccination program. It’s been 7 days and we have done: England:108,000 Wales: 7,897 Northern Ireland: 4,000. Scotland:18,000 U.K Total 137,897. That number will increase as we have operationalised hundreds of PCN (primary care networks)
— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) December 16, 2020
A care home in Flintshire will become the first in Wales to receive the new coronavirus vaccine.
Flintshire Council said a home in the Mold area had been chosen to pilot the roll-out of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine starting today, Wednesday, 16 December, before it’s introduced elsewhere later this week.
The initial launch of the vaccine to care home staff, health and social care workers and those aged 80 started across the UK last week.
However, providing it for care home residents has not been possible until now because of the requirement for the vaccine to be stored at minus 70 degrees celsius.
Work has taken place on traffic control measures outside the temporary ‘Rainbow’ hospital at Deeside Leisure Centre which will double as vaccination centre.
Speaking at a meeting of the council’s ruling cabinet held on Tuesday, chief executive Colin Everett said: “We’ve shared with all the local members around Deeside the traffic management plan for when Deeside Leisure Centre doubles up as a vaccination centre as well as the hospital.
“It is likely to be drawn upon from the week of the fourth of January.
“Thanks to the members for their patience but also to our team for their superb work to create a traffic management plan with safer access and egress.”
Betsi Cadwaladr confirmed that Deeside Rainbow hospital will be used as a mass vaccination centre, alongside Llandudno and Bangor. “It’ll come into use in line with an expected increase in vaccine availability.” A spokesperson has said.
Public Health Wales has said “there may only be small quantities of a vaccine at first, so it will be offered to those who are most at risk first. Eventually every adult will be offered the vaccine.”
“The groups to be prioritised to receive a COVID-19 vaccine first, are decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) at a UK level.”
“This is based on knowledge around who is most at risk from COVID-19.”
This priority list is as follows:
- residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
- all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
- all those 75 years of age and over
- all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
- all those 65 years of age and over
- all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
- all those 60 years of age and over
- all those 55 years of age and over
- all those 50 years of age and over
It is estimated that taken together, these groups represent around 99% of preventable mortality from COVID-19.
More Public Health Wales COVID-19 vaccination information can be found here: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/
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