July 16, 2021 - 1735 views
North Wales has reached the significant milestone of fully vaccinating 400,000 eligible adults. This means that almost seven in ten eligible adults have at least 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation, should they contract COVID-19.
New analysis from Public Health England shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96 per cent effective against hospitalisation after two doses, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 per cent effective against hospitalisation after both doses.
Gill Harris, Executive Director of Nursing and Midwiffery provided the latest update on Friday.
"Our minimum target is to vaccinate 75 per cent of people in each eligible age group with both doses, in order to achieve a level of community protection that will help us eventually return to normal life.
"First dose take up is at least 80 per cent in each age group above the age of forty, but take up among people aged 30-39 is currently 70 per cent. We need approximately 6,000 more people in this age group to come forward to get to 75 per cent.
"Seventy eight per cent of 18-29 year olds have now had a first dose, and although there is more work to do in some communities, take up from younger people in many counties is amongst the highest in the UK.
"From today (Friday 16th July) we will bring forward the second dose interval for both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine from eight to six weeks.
"If six weeks have passed since you had your first dose, from Friday 16th July onwards, you can book your second dose using our online booking service and this new six-week interval is consistent with expert guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
"It will enable us to be more efficient in our use of vaccine supply and ensure that more people receive the full of protection of both doses sooner. This is particularly important, given the huge increase in cases of the Delta variant over recent weeks."
Getting your first or second dose jab (after six weeks) at a convenient date, time and location is now easier than ever using the Betsi Cadwaladr online booking service.
If you cannot access the internet to book online, please phone the COVID-19 Vaccination Contact Centre on 03000 840004. The lines can be very busy, so please be patient.
The following local vaccination clinics are also accepting walk ins without an appointment, where supply allows:
Venue Cymru (Llandudno LL30 1BB)
08:30 – 7:15pm Sunday – Friday
OpTic Centre (St Asaph Business Park LL17 0JD)
09:30 – 5:15pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday
Bangor Cathedral (LL57 1LH)
8.30am – 7pm every day apart from Wednesday and Sunday
There will be more mobile ‘pop up’ vaccination clinics in areas of high footfall over the coming weeks. Stay tuned to Bayside Radio's Good Morning Colwyn Bay for the latest information.
Listen on 87.7FM in the Bay of Colwyn, DAB Digital Radio over North West Wales and on your smart speaker.
