North Wales health board ‘on course’ to offer Priority Groups 1 to 9 vaccine jab by mid April

The health board in North Wales is ‘on course’ to have offered a Covis-19 vaccination to Priority Groups 1 to 9 by April 19th.

By Gill Harris, Deputy Chief Executive Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said the vaccination programme “ramped up significantly” last week as GP surgery staff across the region helped take advantage of a significant increase in vaccine supply.

“We simply could not deliver such a large and complex vaccination programme without their expertise.” She said.

This week the health board has received a slightly reduced supply of vaccine, “but we remain on course to meet the Welsh Government’s target of offering vaccination to Priority Groups 1 to 9 by April 19^th, and to the rest of the eligible population by the end of July, subject to vaccine supplies.” Said the Deputy Chief Executive.

Further information on when people in Priority Groups 6 to 9 can expect to receive an invitation is included below.

As of 14 March,317,393 total vaccinations have been administered in North Wales, of those 259,918 were first dose vaccines, 57,475 were second dose jabs.

The percentage of people in Priority Group 5 (ages 65  to 69) who have now received a first dose stands at 89 per cent

The percentage of people in Priority Group 6 who have received a first dose – ages 16 to 64 in an at risk group –  58 per cent

The health board has said this week, it will receive 54,240 vaccines (18,720 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 35,520 doses of AstraZeneca).

The Pfizer vaccine will again be used primarily for second doses.

“This week we are continuing to provide vaccination to the following groups, with invitations made by letter, text message and phone call:”

• People aged 65-69 years (Priority Group 5)
• People aged 16-64 years in an at risk group (Priority Group 6)
• People aged 60-64 years (Priority Group 7)
• Second doses within 12 weeks to those who have received their first vaccination

“We can confirm that people in Priority Groups 6 to 9 will have received their invitation for their first vaccination by 5 April. Invitations will be sent by the following dates:”

1. Group 6 (people aged 16-65 years in an at-risk group): all invitations due to be sent by the end of this week.
2. Group 7 (people aged 60-64 years): all invitations due to be sent by 22 March.
3. Group 8 (people aged 55-59 years): all invitations due to be sent by 29 March.
4. Group 9 (people aged 50-54 years): starting 22 March with all invitations due to be sent by 5 April.

The health board has issued advice for people in Priority Groups 1-5 who have not yet been able to take up an appointment.

It states: “Priority Groups 1-5 includes people aged 65 years and over and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and on the shielding list.”

“People in these priority groups may not have been able to take up an appointment because they have had COVID within the last 28 days, or been ill for other reasons; they’ve had a different vaccination within the last 7 days; or they may not have wanted the vaccine when it was first offered. The door is always open for anyone who has changed their mind.”

“Our COVID-19 Vaccination Booking Centre number should only be used by people invited by letter or text message to contact us to arrange or amend an appointment, or by people in Priority Groups 1-5, who want the COVID-19 vaccine, but haven’t yet been able to take up a first appointment.”

“People in Priority Groups 1-5 can contact their GP to book a local appointment, or,  for an appointment at a Mass Vaccination Centre (MVC), the telephone number for our COVID-19 Vaccination Booking Centre is 03000 840004. Opening hours are currently 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. However, effective from Saturday 20^th March, the Booking Centre opening hours will change to 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday.”