10 March 2021 - Hywel Dda Vaccine Bulletin - Issue 9
Welcome to the ninth 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 has seen several significant milestones have been achieved locally and across Wales. Over the weekend, the millionth person in Wales received their first coronavirus jab. Here in Hywel Dda UHB, the 150,000 vaccine doses have now been administered, meaning 34.1% of our population have received their first vaccine dose and 4.4% have received a full course.
This week 10,956 first doses have been delivered and 8,235 second doses have been completed.
New drive-through mass vaccination centre opens in Carmarthen
An additional mass vaccination centre (opens in new tab) opened at the United Counties Showground in Carmarthen on Monday 8 March to support the delivery of Hywel Dda University Health Board’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
- Group 7, people aged 60 - 64 years - starting 8 March
- Group 8, people aged 55 - 59 years - starting 22 March
- Group 9, people aged 50 - 54 years - starting 5 April
Ros Jervis, Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “This additional drive-through vaccination centre will help increase the number of vaccines we can deliver as we head towards the Welsh Government’s milestone 2 target; that is to offer everyone in JCVI priority groups 5 to 9 their first vaccine dose by 18th April.
“The showground has been established as a drive through facility for COVID testing for some time now and is the perfect venue to easily adapt to provide additional vaccination facilities.
“We are asking people to use their own private transport wherever possible to attend an appointment. Lifts can be accepted from someone in your household or support bubble, but not from anyone else due to the risk of transmission of the virus.
“We understand that this may not be possible for everyone and so we want to reassure people that transport support is available for anyone who genuinely will find it difficult to attend their vaccination appointment. If you have no other means of travel, please contact the health board using the 0300 phone number on your appointment letter.”
Eligible unpaid carers encouraged to register for a COVID-19 vaccine
“For many years now, the health board has built strong links with unpaid carers across our three counties through initiatives such as our Investors in Carers scheme, designed to help organisations focus on, and improve, their carer awareness and the help and support they give to carers.
“There are over 10,000 unpaid carers registered with GP practices or the local authority across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire but we know there are many more people out there who may not recognise themselves as an unpaid carer and are unaware that support is available for them, including their eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine.”
If you believe you may be eligible, are aged 16 or over and are not registered as an unpaid carer with your GP, please complete this online form to register your details (opens in new tab).
Those already registered as an unpaid carer with a GP will be contacted directly to receive a COVID vaccination and do not need to do anything further.
Please wait to be invited for your vaccination and do not contact your GP or health board to ask about your vaccine appointment. You will be contacted when it is your turn, thank you for your patience and understanding.
Priority group 6 eligibility
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).
|
Priority Group |
First dose vaccine numbers | First dose percentage uptake | Second dose vaccine numbers | Second dose percentage uptake |
|
P1.1 Older adult resident in a care home |
2,489 | 96.4% | 41 | 1.6% |
|
P1.2 - Care home worker |
3,168 | 90.7% | 1,950 |
55.8% |
|
P2.1 - All those 80 years of age and over |
22,545 | 99.3% | 24 | 0.1% |
|
P2.2 & 2.3 - Health and social care workers |
22,100 | 96.9% | 13,758 | 60.3% |
|
P3 - all those 75 years of age and over |
18,126 | 92.9% | 40 | 0.2% |
|
P4.1 - all those 70 years of age and over |
24,460 | 93.0% | 35 | 0.1% |
|
P4.2 - clinically extremely vulnerable individuals |
8,218 | 83.0% | 44 | 0.4% |
|
P5 – all those 65 years of age and over |
19,643 | 82.3% | 23 | 01.% |
| P6 - all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality (at risk groups) and unpaid carers | 8,584 | 19.2% | 487 | 1.1% |
| P7 - all those 60 years of age and over | 601 | 3.1% | 15 | 0.1% |
|
Other priority groups or unallocated |
1,555 | 1.0% | 626 | 0.4% |
|
Total: |
132,234 | 34.1% | 17,100 |
4.4% |
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.