24 February 2021 - Hywel Dda Vaccine Bulletin - Issue 7

Welcome to the seventh edition of Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Vaccine Bulletin.

This weekly update will provide the latest information regarding the progress of the COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Programme across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

This week 8,834 first doses have been delivered and 2,750 second doses have been completed. As reported in last week’s bulletin, the number of vaccines being delivered are slowing down compared to recent weeks. This is due to a reduction in the amount of vaccines we will receive – this is a planned and expected change in supply that will affect the whole of the UK. We have factored this into our plans and it will not affect people’s appointments.

GP practices are currently inviting people in priority group 5 to be vaccinated, that is everyone aged 65 to 69 years. We aim to invite all people in this group by Friday 12 March and start inviting people in group 6 no later than Monday 15 March.

We recognise many unpaid carers are not known to GPs or local authorities. We are in the process of finalising arrangements around both the identification of eligible unpaid carers for vaccine prioritisation and the operational arrangements to support this. We expect to publish guidance next week and will communicate this once published.

For more information about clinical risk groups 16 years of age and over who should receive COVID-19 immunisation as part of priority group 6, click here to see table 3 (opens in new tab)

Please note, those with severe asthma (defined as regular use of oral corticosteroids or previously requiring hospital admission) are at increased risk and included in group 6. Individuals with mild to moderate asthma are not at increased risk and not recommended for vaccination by JCVI.

As more of our community start to receive a vaccine, people are reminded they must continue to follow current advice and guidance with regards to social distancing and wearing face coverings. The vaccine will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill. We do not yet know yet whether it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus.


Priority Group	Vaccine numbers	Percentage Uptake
P1.1 Older adult resident in a care home	2,423	93.9%
P1.2 - Care home worker	3,063	87.7%
P2.1 - All those 80 years of age and over	22,348	98.4%
P2.2 & 2.3 - Health and social care workers	21,260	93.2%
P3 - all those 75 years of age and over	17,855	91.5%
P4.1 - all those 70 years of age and over	24,000	91.3%
P4.2 - clinically extremely vulnerable individuals	7,758	78.3%
P5 – all those 65 years of age and over	9,792	41.0%
Other priority groups or unallocated	1,580	1.0%
Total:	112,823	29.1%

Total vaccinations per county:

Carmarthenshire 52,804 (28.0%)
Ceredigion 20,152 (27.7%)
Pembrokeshire 36,448 (29.0%)
Other 3,385 - unallocated to county or staff working in but living outside of the three counties

Two Carmarthen school friends leading the way

Here is the incredible story of two school friends from Carmarthen and their pivotal roles in the success of the COVID-19 vaccine programme.

Emma Bolam is part of the team who created an Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine and her best friend from school, Lynne Edwards immunisation co-ordinator for Hywel Dda University Health Board, administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Emma went to Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin in Carmarthen and works at the Jenner Institute, which develops vaccines and is based in Oxford University's department of medicine. She is head of production at the institute's clinical bio-manufacturing facility.

Her parents still live in Pen-y-bont - and her best friend from school, Lynne Edwards, happens to be the immunisation co-ordinator for Hywel Dda University Health Board, administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Please don’t contact your GP, pharmacy or health board to ask when you will receive the vaccine
This week, health services have been inundated with calls, emails and social media messages from the public enquiring about the vaccine. We understand people are anxious and want to know when they can have the vaccine. Please do not contact your GP, pharmacy or health board; you will be contacted when it is your turn. People will be invited to receive the vaccine in order of priority, so please be patient.