People aged 75 to 79 years old invited to receive their COVID vaccination at a mass vaccination centre

Letters will arrive in the coming days inviting 20,000 Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire residents aged 75 to 79 years to receive their first COVID vaccine at a mass vaccination centre, Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) has announced.

The letter will provide an appointment time at one of the following mass vaccination centres:

• Aberystwyth – Thomas Parry Library, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth University
• Cardigan – Teifi Leisure Centre
• Carmarthen – Halliwell Conference Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David
• Haverfordwest – Pembrokeshire Archives, Prendergast
• Llanelli – Ffwrnes Theatre
• Tenby – Tenby Leisure Centre

These mass vaccination centres will provide a safe environment, space to maintain social distancing while allowing more people to be vaccinated as efficiently and as quickly as possible.

It is vital that you make every effort to attend your appointment.

You will need to delay your vaccination if you have had a positive coronavirus test within 28 days of this appointment or if you are unwell with a fever, have a new continuous cough or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell.

Please let us know if you cannot attend or need to delay your appointment as soon as possible by calling the number provided in your appointment letter. This will mean we can give your appointment to someone else and save NHS resources.

Steve Moore, Chief Executive of Hywel Dda UHB, said: “Until now we have been using our mass vaccination centres to vaccinate our front-line staff in health, social care and care homes. With over 85% of front-line health workers having had their first dose, and seeing rapid progress with care home staff and social care staff, we are now moving onto the next phase of our delivery plan.

“The opening of our mass vaccination centres to the public will allow us to offer more people a vaccine as soon as supplies are available to us. If you have received an invitation it is because you are in a priority group and at greater risk of complications if you catch COVID-19.

“Vaccines are safe, effective and save lives and the COVID vaccine offers our community hope. By receiving your vaccine, you will continue to play your small but incredibly important part in protecting yourself, the most vulnerable in our communities and our local NHS. Thank you.”

When you attend your appointment please bring with you:

• Your appointment letter
• Some ID such as your passport, driving license or utility bill in your name
• A face mask (if you don’t have one, you will be given one)

People aged 80 years and over will continue to be invited by their GP practice to receive the vaccine, all of which have now received a supply of vaccines. The health board has also commissioned GP practices to vaccinate housebound patients and residents in our care homes.

Hywel Dda UHB is working to offer a vaccine to everyone in priority groups 1 to 4 by mid-February. People over 70 years of age and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable as part of priority group 4 will be invited next to receive a vaccine. The health board will provide further information at the earliest opportunity.

Please do not attend any vaccination venue without an appointment and do not contact your GP, pharmacy or health board to ask when you will be invited. People are being invited to receive the vaccine in order of priority and we thank you for your patience.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine please visit http://phw.nhs.wales/covid-19-vaccination

Further information and how to keep yourself and others safe after you have your COVID-19 vaccination

There are currently two different vaccines available in Wales that have been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) based on a full assessment of their safety and effectiveness. You will be given one of these vaccines depending on which one is available.

Both vaccines require two separate doses to provide the best longer-term protection. You will receive another letter when it is time to book your second dose appointment.

It is not yet known whether the vaccine will stop you from catching and passing on the virus. It will also take a few weeks for your body to build up protection from the vaccine so you should continue to take the recommended precautions such as social distancing, hand hygiene and face masks to avoid infection.

While some people may still get COVID-19 after having a vaccine, this should be less severe. Two doses will reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill.

The most important symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of any of the following:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell

Some people also have a sore throat, headache, nasal congestion, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

If you have any of the symptoms above, stay at home and arrange to have a test by calling 119 or by clicking here https://gov.wales/coronavirus

Further information about the COVID vaccination is available to read here http://phw.nhs.wales/covid-19-vaccination