ACROSS the three counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire 185,005 people have now received their first dose of the vaccine, and 39,301 people are fully vaccinated having received both doses.

The uptake of the vaccine remains high and the health board says it expects at least 80 per cent of each priority groups 1 to 9 to have received their first vaccine dose by milestone 2 of the Welsh Government’s National Vaccination Strategy, an update of which can be viewed here

There have been 86,294 first doses and 17,112 second doses administered in Carmarthenshire, 60,472 first doses and 12,397 second doses in Pembrokeshire and 33,217 first doses and 7,812 second doses in Ceredigion.

A statement from Hywel Dda University Health Board said: "We will have offered a first dose of the vaccine to all those in priority groups 5-9 by Sunday, April 18. This includes:

  • everyone aged 50 to 69
  • everyone aged over 16 with an underlying health condition, which puts them at increased clinical risk of serious illness with COVID-19 – including some people with learning disabilities and with severe mental illness and those experiencing homelessness
  • many invaluable unpaid carers who provide care for someone who is clinically vulnerable to COVID-19

"Please be patient if you haven’t been contacted about your vaccine yet and we politely ask that you do not contact the health board or your GP to ask about your vaccine. You will be contacted when it is your turn.

"Everyone in groups 5 to 9 should expect to receive their first vaccine appointment by Easter Monday, 5 April.

"To ensure no one is left behind, on Tuesday, April 6, the health board will launch an appeal asking people in groups 1 to 9 who have not been contacted to get in touch to arrange their first vaccine dose. This appeal will be shared on our social media channels, in local newspapers and on local radio stations."

Total vaccinations per county

Total vaccinations per county

When will I receive my second vaccine?

When you will be contacted for your second vaccine dose depends on which vaccine you have received.

The health board said: "We are asking anyone who received the Pfizer vaccine and has not received a second vaccine appointment yet, to get in touch as soon as possible on 0300 303 8322. Please note our phone lines get very busy at times and you may have to wait for the call to be answered. You can also contact us by emailing your name and contact phone number to COVIDenquiries.hdd@wales.nhs.uk

The health board said it aims to complete all second Pfizer vaccine doses by week commencing Monday, April 12.

To check which vaccine you received, look at the card given to you when you received your first vaccine. It will say if you received either the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, or the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

If you received a first vaccine dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, you are asked that you do not contact your GP practice or health board at this time to ask about a second vaccine appointment. You will be contacted when it is your turn for a second dose – we are calling those who received a Pfizer first dose at this time.

Care home residents, people aged over 80 and all other priority groups who have received the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine at the GP surgery will be contacted between 11 to 12 weeks following their first vaccine with an appointment time.