One million people in Wales have now had first vaccine dose

One million people in Wales have now had their first coronavirus vaccine dose.

The latest figures, published by Public Health Wales on Tuesday (March 9), show 1,007,391 people have had their first vaccination – which is roughly 40% of the adult population.

On top of this, 192,030 people have received both vaccine doses.

The coronavirus vaccine rollout began in Wales in December, following the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in the UK.

Wales’ Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “To be able to say that one in four adults in Wales have now had at least their first dose of the vaccine is a truly incredible testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the rollout of this life-changing vaccine.

“We have seen an incredible level of uptake so far and my thanks go to every person who has done their bit for this national effort. It is crucial these high levels of uptake are maintained.”

He added: “We do however need to reiterate that even if you have had your jab, please keep to the social distancing and hygiene measures we’ve become accustom to over the past year – everyone’s efforts to keep this virus at bay are so vitally important.”

What next?

Welsh Government has said Wales will see a ‘significant’ increase in vaccine supplies over the next few weeks, following an ‘anticipated’ dip in supplies in recent weeks.

Around 200,000 vaccinations are set to be made available over the next few weeks – with around 30,000 doses set to be administered each day.

The Health Minister recently announced that all adults in Wales will have been offered a vaccine by the end of July – should there be no supply issues with the vaccines.

The vaccine rollout has recently got underway for people in priority groups 5,6,7,8 and 9. These include everyone aged between 50 and 69 and people aged 16 and above with underlying health conditions, including learning disabilities and mental illnesses.

Welsh Government is aiming to offer everyone in these priority groups a vaccine by the middle of April.

Unpaid carers have been included in priority group 6 – meaning they too should be offered a vaccine by mid-April.

An online form was launched on Monday (March 8), for unpaid carers to register themselves to be eligible for a vaccine.

Who has been vaccinated so far?

As of Monday, March 8, 1,007,391 people in Wales had received their first dose, according to figures published by Public Health Wales, with a further 192,030 people having received both doses.

So far, 94.2% of people aged 80 and above have received a first vaccine dose, while 94.7% of people aged 75 to 79 have been given their first dose.

Of those aged 70 to 74, 94% have had their first dose.

In total, 87.4% of people aged 65 to 69 have received their first dose, while 36.7% of people aged 60 to 64, 28.9% of people aged 55 to 59 and 22.9% of people aged 50 to 54 have been given their first vaccination.

Meanwhile, 84.8% of care home workers, 95.1% of care home residents and 87.7% of people aged between 16 and 69, who are classed as extremely clinically vulnerable, have had their first vaccine.

Across Wales, 129,301 healthcare workers have had their first coronavirus vaccine dose – which equates to 87.5%.