COVID-19 vaccine programme update Wednesday 29 December 2021

More than 180,000 COVID-19 booster doses have been delivered by Hywel Dda UHB in the last few weeks.

But vaccination teams of staff and volunteers are stepping forward to expand clinics even further as the health board continues its drive to provide further protection for our communities.

The health board is now inviting – through its drop-in vaccination offer – all those over 18 and whom had their 2^nd or 3^rd primary dose 13 weeks ago – to attend at their nearest Mass Vaccination Centre for their booster as soon as they are able to.

Some centres, like Ysgol Trewen, Cwm-Cou have been able to put additional clinics on, and for example, are now open on January 2 with some availability for drop-ins.

For people who cannot drop-in for health and mobility reasons, we ask them to contact Covid Enquiries for assistance in scheduling an appointment. You can do this by calling 0300 303 8322 or emailing covidenquiries.hdd@wales.nhs.uk. 

Some GPs are also inviting people in, and some community pharmacies are advertising vaccine boosters locally.

Please do not call your GP surgery or community pharmacy to ask about the COVID-19 vaccine. If your GP practice is participating in the booster programme they will contact you directly and offer you an appointment, please accept it if they do.

Bethan Lewis, Interim Assistant Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda UHB said: “This is our active offer to our communities to attend for their booster vaccination, or indeed their first, second, or third if eligible, doses when due.

“I really want to assure anyone who may have been reluctant to attend before Christmas that the centres are generally quieter at the moment and in most cases, people are being seen quickly.

“Cases of COVID-19 are rising again in our area and the full course of vaccination is the best way to protect yourselves and others.”

Housebound patients continue to be supported by local GP practices, where their staffing allows, whilst in other areas our community vaccination team will arrange to visit and offer vaccination. If you have already contacted the health board with your details you do not need to contact us again as we are working through the lists with our GP teams. However, if you are housebound or care for someone who is and you haven’t had an appointment or contacted us previously, please call 0300 303 8322 or email covidenquiries.hdd@wales.nhs.uk. 

We understand people have had difficulty in contacting us by phone or email to cancel or rearrange their appointment. In response, the health board has increased the number of call and email handlers.  We will continue to support people to attend for a vaccination at a time and day which suits them but in order to ensure we are reaching everyone with their offer by the 31st December, re-arranged appointments will be made into the first few weeks of January.

We ask people to do everything possible to attend the appointment they are given, this will help the programme greatly, but we hope this extra resource will help should you need it.

Drop In Clinics

To ensure we can extend the offer of an invite out at pace and that no one is left behind, booster drop-in clinics are reinstated at ALL of our mass vaccination centres, for the following groups (*see bottom of update for participating MVCs and opening times):

• Everyone aged 18 and over who received their second or third dose at least 13 weeks ago
• Anyone aged 16 and over who received their second or third dose at least 13 weeks ago who either a) works in a care home b) is a frontline health or social care worker c) is an unpaid carer d) lives with someone who is immunosuppressed or e) is considered at risk of COVID-19 infection (priority groups 4 and 6)

First doses will be available at all mass vaccination centres for drop-ins for:

• anyone aged 12 and over (over 16s only at drive-through at the Showground).

Second doses will be available at all mass vaccination centres for drop-ins for:

• Anyone aged 18 and over if it has been at least 8 weeks since their first dose.
• Those aged 12 to 17 are asked to wait for an appointment or drop-in if it has been more than 12 weeks since the first dose was received (over 16s only at drive-through at the Showground).

People who choose to drop-in are advised that booked appointments will be given priority and they should be prepared to potentially experience long waits, possibly outdoors, or be turned away if there are health and safety concerns at the centre. Verbal abuse or aggression towards any centre staff or volunteers will not be tolerated.

Those with booked appointments are asked to arrive no more than 10 minutes before their appointment time and make themselves known on arrival to a volunteer or member of staff.

Please do not attend if you are feeling unwell or if you have had a COVID-19 positive test in the last 28 days. Under 18s are currently advised to wait 12 weeks from a COVID-19 positive test before having any COVID-19 dose.

Drop-in opening times for all first and second doses, and those eligible for boosters

Mass vaccination centres will make every effort to accommodate eligible drop-ins between 11am and 8pm. Tenby MVC will accept drop-ins between 10am and 6pm on the set days it is open. Drop-ins at the drive-through showground in Carmarthenshire will be between 11am and 8pm. Please do not arrive early for drop-in sessions.

The MVCs open seven days a week for drop-ins for eligible groups are:

• Aberystwyth – Thomas Parry Library, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth University, SY23 3AS (closed 1 January.)
• Carmarthen (walk-in) – Y Gamfa Wen, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, SA31 3EP (31 December closing at 2.30pm and closed 1 January)
• Carmarthen (drive through – over 16s only) – United Counties Showground, SA33 5DR (closed 31 December and 1 January)
• Haverfordwest – Pembrokeshire Archives, Prendergast, SA61 2PE (Closes 2.30pm on 30 and 31 December. Closed 1 January)
• Llanelli – Unit 2a, Dafen Industrial Estate, Heol Cropin, SA14 8QW (closes at 3pm on 31 December. Closed 1 January) 

Tenby MVC (Tenby Leisure Centre, Marsh Road, SA70 8EJ) will be open for drop-ins between 10am and 6pm on the following days in December:

•  Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 December.
• Closed 31 December to 2 January.

Cwm Cou MVC (Ysgol Trewen, Cwm-Cou, SA38 9PE) has limited availability for drop-ins as it is prioritising scheduled appointments, due to social distancing and traffic management safety issues. If you arrive without an appointment and the centre is unable to offer a vaccine, please bear with us and an appointment will be made for another date. The centre is open for drop-ins between 10am and 7pm on the following days:

• Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 December and Sunday 2 January.
• Friday 31 availability between 10am and 2pm

Please click here to keep up-to-date with this ambitious acceleration of the COVID-19 booster campaign in Hywel Dda.