Covid: Wales' over-50s vaccine target success disputed

Claims all over-50s and at-risk adults with underlying health conditions have been offered a Covid vaccine in Wales have been disputed.

Some people in those groups have said they are still waiting to be contacted to have their jab.

It comes after the Welsh government said on Monday it had already met the mid-April milestone target set for all UK governments.

On Tuesday, it said "plans are in place to make sure no-one is left behind".

Public Health Wales (PHW) has said people should contact their health board.

Garry Edwards, 51, from Anglesey, is registered as asthmatic and said he was still waiting for his invitation.

He said he was previously told by his surgery only second jabs were being given, so he called Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board which confirmed he was on the list and would be called.

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"I know a lot of people who have had, and a lot of people younger than me who have had it - I know people in their 40s who have had it," Mr Edwards said on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Claire Summers.

"It's going to be done when it's done but when you are told you are going to be invited to have it... and it hasn't happened, then the statistics are wrong somewhere."

Other listeners to the programme messaged to say they were also still waiting for a first vaccine.

Beverley Williams, 57, from Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said she was still waiting to hear about her vaccine through Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

"I've had Covid before so I'm a bit stressed," she said.

"I rang them this morning and they are going to send me another letter and if I don't hear anything by next week, I've got to ring them again.

"My husband's [vaccine] was late and he only found out he missed his because they rang him to find out why he hadn't turned up."

She added he was then booked in for the jab the same day as the call.

Graham Thomas said it was "really annoying" his 84-year-old mother Marion Price was still waiting for her vaccine in Caerphilly.

"She has asthma and [lung disease] COPD. She's disabled and can't get out of the house."

He said she had received an offer to come to the surgery, but it was known she was housebound: "She has to have a home visit. She's got a letter saying she is on the priority list but she hasn't had a vaccine."

Sonja Milano's mother Manuela Levi moved to Bangor, Gwynedd, last summer from Italy.

The 50-year-old is registered with a GP but has been told to wait two more weeks for news of a vaccine appointment.

Ms Milano said: "I phoned her GP surgery today and was told if nothing has happened by then, to call again.

"Everybody else around us over 50 has been offered one. I just want to make sure she will get a call."

Sonja Milano's mother Manuela Levi, 50, has been told to wait two more weeks for news of a vaccine appointment

Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the Covid-19 response at PHW, said vaccinations were delivered by health boards.

"I can't think of any systematic issue that would have led to several people having not received their vaccinations," he said.

"There may be isolated cases where that has happened, which obviously needs to be looked into, and the health boards are best placed to do that.

"Without looking into the specific details of each of those cases, it's difficult to say what might have happened, but I think the main thing to say is it's never too late.

"If you feel you haven't been given an appointment, you should immediately make contact with the health board."

In a statement, the Welsh government said: "Any person aged 50 or over will have had at least their first vaccination or been sent an appointment, and plans are in in place to make sure no-one is left behind.

"If health boards have been unable to contact someone on the list, or if an appointment has been missed, systems are in place to go back and check and re-arrange a new appointment for anyone who wants to be vaccinated."

Information is available on the Welsh government website for people who think they should have had an appointment but have not received one.

Dr Mair Hopkin said she thought cases of people not being offered the vaccine were "few and far between"

Dr Mair Hopkin, joint chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners Wales, said she did not think there was "potentially a problem" with delivering the vaccine.

She said she had heard cases of people not being offered the vaccine were "few and far between".

"There may be very many reasons why people have been left off a list," Dr Hopkin said, citing people moving house and records not being updated.

Dr Hopkin expressed concern younger people could be harder to reach for vaccination since they could be in education or at work and not "sitting there waiting for that phone call".

She said it was important the young were vaccinated even if they thought they were not at risk.

"You have to remember that you are putting everyone one else at risk," she said.

On Monday, PHW said 1,493,192 people had received a first dose of the vaccine and 469,251 people were fully vaccinated, having had both jabs.

The Welsh government also said on Monday it had achieved its "second milestone" of offering a vaccine to everyone over the age of 50 and those with underlying health issues.

But Hywel Dda University Health Board, which covers Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, said it was on track to meet the UK's mid-April target by 18 April.

Chief executive Steve Moore encouraged people to get in touch to secure their first vaccine dose if they have not yet had an appointment.

He added: "We have seen an overwhelming response from our wonderful communities across the three counties who have turned up in storms, snow, rain and sunshine to receive their vaccine."

Betsi Cadwaladr health board's primary and community care boss, Dr Chris Stockport, said the "vast majority" of appointments for unvaccinated people in groups five to nine were now booked.

Invitation letters, he said, were "sent in the post last week".

"Most of these letters have been delivered, but a small number may arrive in the coming days, because of bank holiday postal arrangements," Dr Stockport said.

A "significant number" of invitations had also been sent to people in their 40s, he said.

"We are determined to not leave anybody behind," he said.

The uptake of first doses of those in their early 50s across Wales on average was up to 67.2%, while for those in their late 50s, the figure stands at more than 84%.

The top four priority groups in Wales, which is made up of all over-70s, including care home residents, were offered a jab by mid-February.