Covid: Call for more Wrexham prisoners to have vaccine

HMP Berwyn is one of the largest prisons in the UK

Health officials are trying to "encourage" more inmates to take up the offer of a Covid-19 vaccine at Wrexham's HMP Berwyn.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board said its records showed 1,816 prisoners had been offered a first vaccine jab but only 52% (946) had received it by Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) claimed it had received "confirmation" the number was higher.

But it has yet to provide details to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Gill Harris, health board executive director of nursing and midwifery, said all inmates had been advised of the "benefits of vaccination".

"As of Tuesday, 946 men (52%) had received a first dose, while 532 (29%) had been fully vaccinated," she said.

"We continue to encourage those who have yet to take up the offer of vaccination to come forward in order to give themselves the very best protection from Covid-19."

The MoJ said the prison has an isolation unit for prisoners who test positive or present as symptomatic.