Written Statement: COVID-19 Vaccination – Progress against Strategy

Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services

Today, I will publish the latest version of our COVID-19 vaccination programme update. Urgent efforts are underway to accelerate our COVID-19 booster vaccination programme even further. New evidence has emerged about the effectiveness of our vaccines against omicron. Two doses of the vaccine is not enough to give the level of protection against infection we all need. The booster dose is vital.

Our vaccinators have already administered more than 1.1 million booster

doses. I am immensely grateful to everyone involved for their relentless hard work and dedication.

We aim to offer all eligible adults a booster appointment by the end of the month. We will vaccinate as many people quickly and safely as possible, continuing to prioritise vaccinations in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) based on age and clinical vulnerability.  Increasing the roll out of the booster programme to maximise protection will be the number one priority for the NHS over the coming weeks, make it your priority too. Our vaccination teams are working extremely hard to make this happen. Please make every effort to keep your allocated appointment.

Health boards will be sending letters, texts and making phone calls to contact people for their booster appointments. In the coming weeks walk in sessions will be introduced for certain ages, more details will be available and updated regularly on your local health board’s website and social media.

Anyone who has not yet had their first or second dose, including children and young people, can contact their health board directly to arrange an appointment or find out about appropriate walk-in sessions. The vaccine is our best means of protection against coronavirus, it is not too late to come forward. Vaccination teams can answer any questions you may have about vaccination and support you to get vaccinated.

Getting your COVID-19 booster and first or second dose is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself against coronavirus and this new variant.