The rollout of booster jabs of the coronavirus vaccine in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area has begun.
It got underway in Gwent on Monday, September 20 – with 2,931 vaccines administered since.
Why is Caerphilly in Gwent?
Caerphilly County Borough was formed on April 1, 1996, by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan with the Islwyn borough of Gwent.
Administratively, for local services such as the police and health, the borough now falls under a wider region referred to as Gwent. This comprises the council areas of Caerphilly, Newport, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire.
People over the age of 80 will begin receiving their booster jabs from September 23.
The booster campain follows a recommendation from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation.
Among those who will be eligible for a booster vaccine will be everyone who was in priority groups one to nine for the first vaccine rollout earlier this year.
This includes all adults aged 50 and older, frontline health and social care workers and those aged 16 to 49 with underlying health conditions.
It also includes people living in care homes for older adults, adult carers and adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.
Wales’ Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, said: “I would urge all those who are eligible for a booster take up the offer when they are called for an appointment, as there is the possibility of reduced immunity from their earlier doses of the vaccine as time passes.
“If you haven’t had the first dose of the vaccine yet, it’s not too late. I encourage anyone who has not yet taken up their offer to do so.”
Dr Gill Richardson, Wales’ Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Vaccines, said: “The first doses of the booster vaccine have been provided to frontline healthcare staff who look after some of our most vulnerable people as we continue to protect individuals from the virus, serious illness and the risk of hospitalisation.
“We have already seen the benefits that come from having as many people as possible vaccinated and have been preparing for this throughout the summer. Vaccines remain our strongest defence from the virus and to maintain the levels of immunity that people have achieved.”
Meanwhile, young people aged 12 to 15-years-old will get their first vaccine jabs from October 4.
Who has been vaccinated so far?
The percentage of people in Wales who have received their first and second vaccine is broken down below:
Care home residents: 98.1% first dose; 96% second dose
Care home workers: 94.1% first dose; 91.1% second dose
Healthcare workers: 97% first dose; 95.1% second dose
Social care workers: 44,911 first dose; 45,305 second dose
Aged 80 and above: 96.2% first dose; 95.2% second dose
Aged 75-79: 97% first dose; 96.2% second dose
Aged 70-74: 96.3% first dose; 95.7% second dose
Clinically extremely vulnerable people aged 16-69 : 95% first dose; 93.2% second dose
Aged 65-69: 95.1% first dose; 94.2% second dose
Clinical risk groups aged 16 to 64: 90.5% first dose; 87.3% second dose
Aged 60-64: 93.5% first dose; 92.3% second dose
Aged 55-59: 91.8% first dose; 90.2% second dose
Aged 50-54: 90% first dose; 88% second dose
Aged 40-49: 85% first dose; 81.8% second dose
Aged 30-39: 78.1% first dose; 72.5% second dose
Aged 18-29: 77.4% first dose; 68.9% second dose
Aged 16-17: 70.4% first dose; 14.3% second dose
Source: Public Health Wales
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