Covid vaccine in Wales: Over-80s take-up varies by health board
Getty ImagesJust over half of people aged over 80 in Wales were given a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the weekend, official figures show.
This is less than the Welsh Government target of 70% by Sunday but it was hampered by snow in some areas.
Nearly two-thirds of over 80s in Aneurin Bevan got the dose but fewer than 40% in Hywel Dda although the health board points to a data issue.
By Sunday, 277,690 people got a first dose, Public Health Wales figures show.
That is more than 7% more than the daily total originally suggested, which underlines the "lag" in the data being published because of the verification and quality assurance work.
The latest daily figures, however, show the total receiving a first dose up to Wednesday was 336,071 - and the rate has jumped to 10.7% of the population.
If the latest daily rate was maintained, the mid-February target for reaching four priority groups, including the over 70s, would be met, although at the current daily seven-day average it would take a couple of days beyond 14 February.
Wales is also slightly ahead of England on its daily rate of vaccinations, based on population.
The daily numbers also show 113,598 of the over-80s - 62.1% - have now received a first dose.
The weekly figures - up to 24 January - show breakdowns by health boards.
They show:
- A total of 50.6% of over-80s - 92,725 - had been given a first vaccine dose by Sunday
- This varies from 39.6% in Hywel Dda to 63.8% in Aneurin Bevan health board
- The vaccine reached 70% of care home residents - although just over half of those in Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Hywel Dda areas
- Nearly three-quarters of care home residents were reached with first doses in Betsi Cadwaladr
- The first doses had been given to 8.8% of the population by Sunday - better than the 8.4%, which was originally estimated, when accounting for the lag in results being inputted and checked
The figures show Powys had given first doses to nearly 11% of its population by Sunday and in Swansea Bay it was more than 9%.
The breakdown also shows most of the 556 second doses of vaccines went to healthcare workers across health boards in south Wales. Some 50 care home workers have also been given second doses in Cwm Taf Morgannwg.
Hywel Dda health board, which covers west Wales and parts of mid Wales, said: "We have identified some data held on local systems has not yet been inputted to the national system.
"Also, some data which has been inputted and appears on our running total of vaccinations, is not showing in the correct category of priority group."
A spokeswoman said they were working with partners to resolve the issues as quickly as possible and would publish its weekly vaccine bulletin as soon as possible to give a more accurate picture of vaccines administered across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said the Welsh Government had made "good progress," while the UK Government had now delivered 500,000 vaccination doses to Wales.
"This is not a competition between governments. It's a competition between governments and Covid," he said.
The Welsh Government had a "slightly slow start," he said.
"It caught up, which is brilliant.
"This is not a sort of opportunity to criticise, we want this to work."
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