Wales' Covid-19 vaccination plan: Here's what we know

Credit: PA

The Welsh Government has announced a Covid-19 vaccination strategy which sets out how and when people in Wales will receive the vaccine.

The plan, published on Monday, details when people can expect to receive the jab against Covid-19, and who will be prioritised.

Latest figures from Public Health Wales show 86,039 people have so far received their first dose of a vaccine.

It follows a raft of criticism that the Welsh Government did not begin vaccinating people quickly enough, but the health minister confirmed on Monday that all those over 50 will be vaccinated by Spring - with all other age groups will get a vaccine by autumn.

Here is what we know:

When people in Wales can expect to receive the vaccination

Part of the strategy sets out deadlines for when people will be given vaccines which are based on their job, age or any medical conditions they have.

The Welsh Government say these milestones will depend on them receiving regular supplies of the vaccines.

By mid-February:

  • Care home residents and staff

  • Frontline health and social care staff

  • Everyone over 70

  • People classed as clinically extremely vulnerable

By Spring:

  • Everyone over 50

  • Those who are at risk due to an underlying medical condition

By Autumn:

  • All other age groups

In total, around 2.5m people throughout Wales are expected to be offered Covid vaccines by September.

Over 70s will be vaccinated in Wales by mid-February Credit: PA

Where the vaccinations will take place

More than 100 GP practices will be running vaccination clinics by January 15. This will increase to 250 before the end of the month.

Fourteen mobile units are being used to take the vaccine to care homes to vaccinate staff and residents.

On Friday, the first community pharmacy will start to provide the Oxford vaccine in a three-day trial in North West Wales.

Mass vaccination centres are being used to vaccinate frontline health and care staff. There are 22 of these centres in Wales with plans to open a further 13 over the coming weeks.

The centres will have support from the army, with over 80 military officers enlisted to help.

Plans to open 35 mass vaccination centres across Wales Credit: Welsh Government

What vaccines are being used and where

Wales now has two vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca, which are being rolled out across the country.

There are 250,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine which the Welsh Government expect to use by mid-February but more supplies are expected. They are being used at mass vaccination centres to vaccinate frontline health and care staff.

Wales has 44,000 doses of the Oxford vaccine to use in the first fortnight with assurances more supplies are coming. These are being taken to care homes to vaccinate the over 80s and care home staff.

A third vaccine, Moderna, has also been approved but won't be available until spring.