Covid vaccine could be given to priority groups in Wales 'next month'
A coronavirus vaccine could be given to priority groups in Wales as early as next month if final safety checks are completed, the Welsh Government says.
Following the news that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has created a Covid-19 vaccine with 90% efficacy, the UK Government has ordered enough to immunise a third of the population of Great Britain.
A Welsh Government spokesperson confirmed today that planning for the delivery of a potential Covid-19 vaccine in Wales is "well underway."
Supplies of the vaccine will be limited at first, so it will be offered to those most at risk. The Welsh Government says health and social care workers, care home residents and staff have been prioritised to receive a vaccine first.
The vaccine will then be further rolled out to the rest of the population, starting with the oldest and most at risk.
The majority of people will be required to wait until 2021 to get their jab. However, it is hoped some will receive it prior to Christmas.
The Welsh Government's statement in full:
“Planning for the delivery of a potential Covid-19 vaccine in Wales is well underway.
"This includes organising the logistics for transporting the vaccine, identifying suitable venues for vaccinations to take place, and ensuring that healthcare professionals are available and trained to administer the vaccines.
"There will be limited supplies of a vaccine at first, so it will be offered to those at highest risk. The vaccines need to pass final safety checks, but if this occurs we will begin to immunise in December alongside other UK nations.
"Health and social care workers, care home residents and staff have been prioritised to receive a vaccine first, with roll out to older people in age bands from next year.”
At Monday's Welsh Government press briefing, First Minister Mark Drakeford said he welcomed the early reports about the success of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine.
"It is good news, of course, if any of the vaccines in trial are making progress," Mr Drakeford said.
"We will want to see the nature of any vaccine, how much protection it offers people for how long, but of course any vaccine that is emerging strongly from trials is to be welcomed because it will offer some new possibilities in the future."
The UK Government is leading procurement of possible vaccines on behalf of the whole UK, with each nation taking a share in proportion to its population and choosing how it is circulated.
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, said at a Downing Street press conference on Monday that he's hopeful we could see "some vaccine by Christmas" but urged people to not "get too over excited about where we are".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said initial results suggested the vaccine was 90% effective at protecting people from Covid-19 but warned these were “very, very early days”.
The announcement from Pfizer and its vaccine partner BioNTech was hailed by scientists as a significant breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus, while stock markets rallied on the news with the FTSE 100 jumping more than 5.5%.
It came with England less than a week into Lockdown 2.0, while Wales eased up from a firebreak lockdown on Monday.
The UK Government has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine – enough for about a third of the UK population.
But Mr Johnson said it would be a mistake to “slacken our resolve at such a critical moment”.
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