New drive-through mass vaccination centre to open in Carmarthen

An additional mass vaccination centre will open at the United Counties Showground in Carmarthen on Monday 8 March 2021 to support the delivery of Hywel Dda University Health Board’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The health board recently confirmed people in JCVI priority groups 7, 8 and 9 – that is everyone aged between 50 and 64 years old with no underlying health conditions – will be invited to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination centre as follows:

• Group 7, people aged 60 – 64 years – starting 8 March
• Group 8, people aged 55 – 59 years – starting 22 March
• Group 9, people aged 50 – 54 years – starting 5 April

The health board currently has six mass vaccination centres located in Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Haverfordwest, Tenby, Carmarthen and Llanelli.

The showground is in addition to the mass vaccination centre at the Halliwell Conference Centre at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and will operate as a drive-through service.

Ros Jervis, Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “This additional drive-through vaccination centre will help increase the number of vaccines we can deliver as we head towards the Welsh Government’s milestone 2 target; that is to offer everyone in JCVI priority groups 5 to 9 their first vaccine dose by 18th April.

“The showground has been established as a drive through facility for COVID testing for some time now and is the perfect venue to easily adapt to provide additional vaccination facilities.

“We are asking people to use their own private transport wherever possible to attend an appointment. Lifts can be accepted from someone in your household or support bubble, but not from anyone else due to the risk of transmission of the virus.

“We understand that this may not be possible for everyone and so we want to reassure people that transport support is available for anyone who genuinely will find it difficult to attend their vaccination appointment. If you have no other means of travel, please contact the health board using the 0300 phone number on your appointment letter.”

People in groups 7, 8 and 9 will receive a letter and some will also receive a text message with an appointment date and time. Please arrive as close to your appointment time as possible. The letter will include a phone number to contact the health board should you need to rearrange or cancel your appointment but please make every effort to keep your allocated appointment time.

An additional mass vaccination centre to support the vaccine programme in Pembrokeshire is currently in planning and further announcements will be made as soon as possible.To find out more about Hywel Dda UHB’s mass vaccination programme please visit https://hduhb.nhs.wales/healthcare/covid-19-information/covid-19-vaccination-programme/