Reacting to the publication today (January 11) by the Welsh Government’s long-awaited plan to deliver Covid vaccinations in Wales, Paul Davies MS – the Leader of the Opposition in the Welsh Parliament – said:

“We are pleased that a vaccine strategy has finally been published by the Welsh Labour-led Government but the failure to appoint a Vaccines Minister to drive this forward will hamper its delivery.

“The plan is late and yet another example of the First Minister’s dither and delay that is holding Wales back and causing unnecessary anxiety and concern for vulnerable people.

“We now need a rapid ramping up of the vaccine delivery in Wales to protect people in all parts of the country, especially given that as of yesterday, around 200,000 doses of the vaccine were sat in fridges instead of in people’s arms.”

Mr Davies added:“The Welsh Government must now publish daily vaccination figures for each priority group by health board to enable us to measure progress and hold Ministers accountable to the milestones set out today.”

Also announced today are three “milestones”:

•            By mid-February – all care home residents and staff; frontline health and social care staff; everyone over 70 and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable will have been offered vaccination.

•            By the Spring – vaccination will have been offered to all the other phase one priority groups. This is everyone over 50 and everyone who is at-risk because they have an underlying health condition.

•            By the autumn – vaccination will have been offered to all other eligible adults in Wales, in line with any guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).