North Wales MS urges eligible residents to get covid-19 booster

A North Wales Member of the Senedd is urging constituents to make sure they take up the offer of a Covid booster jab.

Around 100,000 of the most vulnerable people in the region will be offered a jab by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

The booster is being offered around six months after their last dose of the vaccine.

It aims to help to protect older people and adults and children with a compromised immune system from serious illness caused by the virus.

Those who will be offered the vaccine include:

Adults living in care homes for older people

• Vaccination teams are prioritising eligible groups in order of clinical need, and have started visiting care homes to vaccinate older adults across the region.
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board teams will continue to visit care homes in turn over the coming weeks.

People aged 75 and over

• People aged 75 and over will be offered a COVID-19 Spring booster at one of our community vaccination centres during April, May and June.
• The first appointments at community vaccination centres will take place from mid-April onwards.
• Appointment letters, which include the location, date and time of your vaccination slot, have already been posted to the first people to be invited.
• Further rounds of invitations will be issued in priority order over the coming weeks. The health board will write to you when it is your turn.
• Please check your invitation letter carefully because the location of your vaccination appointment may have be different from your previous appointment.

People who are housebound

• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will contact people who are housebound to make arrangements for them to receive their vaccination.

Adults and children with a compromised immune system

• Adults and children aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed will also be offered the COVID-19 Spring booster at one of the vaccination centres.
• The health board is especially keen to encourage adults and children with a compromised immune system (as defined by tables 3 and 4 of the Green Book) to come forward to receive the vaccine when invited.

The covid-19 autumn booster campaign ended on March 28, with the health board delivering vaccines to more than 175,000 people across the region.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will contact people who are housebound to make arrangements for them to receive their vaccination.
Adults and children with a compromised immune system

Sam Rowlands MS said: “I am delighted to hear that BCUHB will be offering these very important boosters next month.

“It is vital that we continue to protect people, ourselves and those who need protection.

“The booster will help those who have a higher risk of contracting Covid and will ultimately cut down on hospital admissions therefore easing pressure on our already stretched health services in North Wales.

“Covid has still not gone away and I would urge people who are offered the jab, to seek this extra protection.“