Covid: Second jabs for Wales' over-40s 'within 8 weeks'

Ministers have switched focus to second jabs over the summer

People aged 40 and over in Wales will get their second Covid jab within eight weeks of their first, Wales' Health Minister Eluned Morgan has pledged.

The promise is subject to supply and comes as Wales' vaccine programme switches focus to second doses.

A health official said there was good evidence suggesting two doses helped reduce the risk of needing hospital treatment from the Delta variant.

It comes as the number of Delta cases rises to 579, up from 490 last week.

Last Friday First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales was at the start of a third wave of coronavirus, driven by the variant first discovered in India.

About four in five new cases of Covid are caused by Delta - and there are warnings that in the worst case scenario there could be more cases than in January.

Baroness Morgan told Monday's Welsh government press conference that in addition to the pledge on over-40s, the NHS will also be focused on offering a second dose to everyone over 50, all healthcare workers, social care workers, and other vulnerable groups, including care home residents.

"Between now and mid-July, we will be putting an extra half a million vaccines into the system, focusing on second doses and getting people fully protected," she said.

• How many people have been vaccinated in Wales?

• How is Wales leading the UK on vaccine rollout?

Deputy chief medical officer Chris Jones said it was important to have two doses of the vaccine.

"Across the UK, we are starting to see an increase in the number of people who have been admitted to hospital, although at the moment, this remains relatively low, which suggests vaccination is providing strong protection against infection and severe disease," he said.

About two-thirds of the people admitted to hospital in England were not vaccinated, compared to 11% who were fully vaccinated, he said.

However, he added there were still uncertainties about vaccination.

'A very sizable third peak'

Dr Jones said the modelling for the worst-case scenario, where the variant is more transmissible and the vaccine is the least effective, "suggests we could have still a very sizable third peak and possibly even larger than January".

The health minister said the prospect of further Covid lockdowns would depend on how the public responds to the restrictions in place.

Baroness Morgan said: "If they did follow the suggestions when it comes to social distancing and wearing masks and washing hands regularly, then that would certainly help the situation."

"Winter is a long way away, and at some point we are going to have to learn to live with this virus. But what we don't do in the Welsh government is make any promises that we can't keep."