Health board “pleased” with number of walk-in coronavirus vaccinations

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has said it is “pleased” with the number of people who attended a walk-in vaccination session at Newbridge Leisure Centre.

The leisure centre opened between 8.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday, July 3, for anyone aged 18 or over who had not yet had their first vaccine dose.

Asked by Caerphilly Observer how many attended the session, the health board revealed that 219 people got their first dose on the day. A spokeswoman said the number was in line with what the health board ad expected and that it was “pleased with the response”.

The walk-in session was open to people living within Caerphilly County Borough, as well as Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Newport and Monmouthshire, provided they brought photo ID.

The health board has confirmed to Caerphilly Observer that it is planning to hold further walk-in sessions in the future, but was unable to say when or where.

The leisure centre has been used as a vaccination centre since the end of January, taking over from Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Ty Penallta headquarters in Tredomen, which was used as a vaccination centre at the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday last week, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the use of booster vaccines from September, to boost immunity as we head into the winter months.