'Every vaccine administered is a step closer to a brighter future for us all'

MS for Wrexham

There was a positive major milestone last week as figures revealed more than 1 million people in Wales have now had their first dose of the lifesaving Covid-19 vaccine. This marker has been reached ahead of schedule and is testament to the sheer hard work and dedication of our fantastic vaccination team. It means around a third of the population have now received at least one dose and I am grateful to all those who have had their jab. Every vaccine administered is a step closer to a brighter future for us all.

I am continuing to receive updates from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board regarding the progress of the rollout locally. After hitting their first target by mid-February, the North Wales Health Board remains confident it will reach the second key milestone by offering the vaccine to all those in priority groups 5 – 9 by mid-April. At the beginning of last week, over 270,000 vaccinations had been administered in North Wales and the Health Board expected to reach the 300,000 milestone by the end of last week. As of 8 March, 85% of 65 – 69 year olds (Priority Group 5) and almost a third of those aged 16-65 with underlying health conditions (Priority Group 6) in North Wales had been offered the vaccine. These figures will clearly be higher today. Letters are being sent to those aged 60 – 64 (Priority Group 7) offering them appointments later this month. At the same time, people are also being offered second doses as the rollout ramps up again. Wales currently has the best vaccination rate in the UK and a greater proportion of people in Wales have had both doses of the vaccine than in any other part of the UK. This is something we can all be proud of.

The selfless actions of unpaid carers during this pandemic has been admirable. Many have put their own lives on hold to care for the most vulnerable in our society. Guidance was updated last week meaning unpaid carers who are the sole or primary carer for an elderly or disabled person who is clinically vulnerable are now eligible for a vaccine as part of Priority Group 6. If you are an unpaid carer and are not registered with your GP, please complete the new self-referral form which is available on the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board website. Once the form is submitted, a vaccine appointment will be issued. To be clear, if you are already registered as an unpaid carer with your GP, you will be contacted by your practice automatically. Details are online but if any constituent has any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.