Coronavirus vaccines given to more than 49,400 people in Wales, latest figures show
Wales at Six report by ITV Wales journalist Megan Boot
Nearly 50,000 coronavirus vaccines have been administered in Wales so far according to the latest statistics from Public Health Wales.
By the end of last week, Public Health Wales recorded 49,428 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. Of these, 49,403 were first doses while 25 were second doses.
The total figures are likely to be higher as health boards continue to update the system.
The data does not include the Oxford vaccine which only began its rollout on Monday.
On Tuesday, Dr Gillian Richardson, the senior officer behind Wales' COVID-19 Vaccine Programme, said Wales is aiming to match England's vaccination targets.
It means that everyone in the top four priority groups - including care home residents, frontline health and social care workers, the over 70s and those considered extremely clinically vulnerable - could be offered a vaccine in the coming weeks.
Reacting to the figures, Dr Gillian Richardson said: ''Just four weeks since the first Covid-19 vaccine was approved for use in the UK and almost 50,000 people have received a vaccine.
“This is the first mass vaccination programme of its kind in Wales and the efforts by NHS Wales and Public Health Wales have been exceptional. The number of doses unable to be used have been incredibly low - at around 1% - and significantly below anticipated levels, thanks to the robust appointment planning and reserve lists.
“The recent approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is a real game-changer and will help us speed up our vaccination programme considerably. Over the next three weeks, we will receive a further 105,000 doses of the two vaccines to help protect people who are most at-risk.''
The figures were met with criticism by some with the Welsh Conservatives warning that vaccination could become a ''postcode lottery.''
In a statement Shadow Health Minister Andrew RT Davies said Wales was lagging behind England.
He said: “Of course we welcome the increase in the number of vaccinations, but the rough calculation is that one in 65 people in Wales has had their jab compared to one in 50 in England.
“Factor in the postcode lottery emerging in Wales, and the picture’s not looking great. You’re twice as likely in South Wales to have had the vaccination and three times more likely to have had it in Mid Wales than in North Wales.
“We are renewing our call for the First Minister to establish the post of Vaccinations Minister as a priority to take overarching control of the rollout of this life-saving programme here and to publish targets for the vaccination programme and a daily tally of those that have had the vaccine.
“Publishing these numbers will increase transparency and give the public confidence that progress is being made in our fight against Covid-19.”
Where am I on the vaccine list?
People have been grouped within nine priority groups by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
The first to receive the vaccine will be care home residents and staff, of which there are approximately 40,250 in Wales
These will be followed by people aged 80 and over, and frontline health and social care workers (around 326,000 people).
The next priority groups will be people aged 75 and over (126,800), those who are clinically vulnerable and aged between 16-69 (247,300), and people who are 65 and over (167,150).
Adults aged 16-64 classed within an at-risk group will be next (321,400), then people who are aged 60+ (125,900), 55+ (150,600) and 50 or more (162,850).
The last group to be vaccinated will be people aged 16-49, of which there are almost 1.1 million.
The rollout of the vaccine has come as a huge relief to many people in Wales including those with vulnerable relatives.
Gwenda Jones, 80, was one of the first to receive the Oxford jab, at Bryn Seiont Newydd dementia care facility in Caernarfon. Her daughter Susan described the moment as a ''massive weight lifted from her shoulders.''
She said: ''“We all know these are extremely challenging times and there is still a difficult road ahead for so many of us, but at least now there is some clear light at the end of what has been a very dark and long tunnel.
“We have so missed being able to freely visit mum, hug and get close to her like we used to do before the pandemic. Hopefully, it will now not be long before those days will return.”