"The vaccine rollout is a mammoth task"

The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine in Wrexham and across the region continues to be the key issue for constituents at the current time. I am meeting with officials and communicating with the chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) on a regular basis.

Wales, like all UK nations, receives a population-based share of the vaccine, which is the fairest and most equitable way of administering the jab as stocks increase.

With supplies of both the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines now becoming more readily available, the Welsh Government detailed its Vaccination Plan at the beginning of last week.

The strategy outlined three key milestones. The first of which was that all care home residents and staff, frontline health and social care staff, everyone over 70 and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered vaccination by mid-February. By the spring, subject to supply, everyone over 50 and all those who are at risk due to an underlying health condition will be vaccinated and by the autumn, the focus will be to offer Covid-19 vaccines to everyone else, in line with the latest advice from the JCVI.

Last Wednesday (January 13), I received a further update from BCUHB. It confirmed Wrexham's two Local Vaccination Centres will be located at Glyndwr University and Plas Madoc Leisure Centre. As well as the centres, the vaccine will be administered by GP surgeries, mobile units, pharmacies and the military. Some GP surgeries in Wrexham are offering the vaccine and from last week, those registered have been able to order supplies of the Oxford vaccine direct, which will help accelerate the process.

As of last Wednesday, more than 100,000 vaccines had been administered in Wales, with BCUHB having the highest cumulative total.

From today, the North Wales Health Board hope to start administering 30,000 vaccines a week. Infrastructure and workforce will continue to grow and develop in the days ahead, ultimately enabling the Health Board to offer 80,000 vaccines per week.

Subject to supplies, BUCHB is aiming to offer the vaccine to all care home staff and residents, all frontline health and social care staff and everyone aged 80 and over by the end of this month.

The vaccine rollout is a mammoth task and I am very grateful to the Health Board for the updates. An incredible amount of work is taking place in implementing what is the largest vaccination programme in our history.

I hope the updates provide constituents with reassurance at this uncertain time. With the situation evolving constantly, I will continue to keep in close contact with the Health Board and ensure constituents are kept up-to-date with the latest information.