Is This One Step Closer to Normal – COVID-19 Vaccine Update
Today Welsh Government Health Minister, Vaughan Gethin shared the latest news relating to the COVID-19 Vaccine. The UK are among the first to approve the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. The Health Minister also covered the planned approach to vaccinating the Welsh population.
Medicines and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agencies confirm the vaccine is safe to use. It will offer up to 95% protection against COVID-19 symptoms and will be administered by injection.
Each of us receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination will need two doses, three weeks apart. To vaccinate 1.9Million individuals in Wales, 40Million doses will be purchased.
The UK Government have also ordered the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. They have confirmed an order of 100Million doses, meaning many more vaccinations.
Older, vulnerable people and care home staff will be some of the first to be vaccinated.
With guidance from the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination & Immunisation (JCVI), The Welsh Government intend to split the population into age groups then determine priority.
As of Wednesday 22nd December the order of priority is:
- Older residents in care homes and care home workers
- All those 80 years and over and health and social care workers
- All those 75 years and over
- Those 70 and over, and clinically extremely vulnerable people – including those with cancer and kidney disease
- All aged 65 and over
- All individuals aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
- All those 60 years and over
- All those 55 years and over
- All those 50 years and over
- The 40% remainder of the population, with order of priority to be determined
The priority 10 groups represent 60% of the population but also 99% of all deaths linked to Covid-19.
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