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Covid vaccine: 'No impact' on delivery after Storm Christoph floods

BBC Skewen floodingBBC
Skewen in Neath Port Talbot has been badly hit by flooding over the past two days

There have been "no adverse effects" on the coronavirus vaccine roll-out caused by recent flooding, the Welsh Government has said.

Homes were evacuated in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, on Thursday as heavy rain caused issues across the country.

Swansea Bay health board said none of its mass vaccination centres or GP surgeries had been affected by floods.

It added anyone struggling to get to a vaccination appointment because of the flooding would be able to rearrange.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board also said it was not aware of flooding in north Wales causing any issues for the vaccine roll-out.

Wrexham council leader Mark Pritchard said on Thursday that teams worked to ensure the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, made on Wrexham Industrial Estate, was not lost in the floods.

The latest figures released on Friday showed 212,317 people in Wales had received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with a further 415 receiving a second dose.

Skewen flooding
As well as properties, vehicles were submerged in water

About 80 people in Skewen had to be evacuated from their homes after streets were left under water.

Fire crews returned to the scene on Friday to continue to pump floodwater away from houses.

Meanwhile, a family in Rossett, Wrexham county, had to be rescued by helicopter after their home became surrounded by floodwater on Thursday night.

Ian Humphreys flooding in Bangor-on-DeeIan Humphreys
North Wales has also been hit by floods

On Friday, Health Minister Vaughan Gething told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that efforts to rehouse those affected by the floods were being done in "as Covid-secure a way as possible".

Dorothy Edwards, Covid-19 vaccination programme director for Swansea Bay health board, said: "None of our mass vaccination centres have been impacted by flooding and we're not aware of any particular issues in primary care.

"Of course we will be sympathetic if there are people struggling to get to their appointment and if they are booked in at an mass vaccination centres they need to ring the booking line and the appointment will be rearranged."

The Welsh Government said: "There have been no adverse effects on the vaccine roll-out due to flooding."