‘Even more important’ for people to keep to vaccine appointments as reserve lists shrink

The First Minister has stressed the importance of turning up for vaccination slots as reserve lists shrink.

Reserve lists have been used to help ensure no vaccines are wasted, but as the rollout covers more people those backup options are getting smaller.

On Monday Wrexham.com reported how one local surgery managed to ensure no vaccine doses were wasted, despite 400 people not turning up for their booked jabs.

At today’s media briefing Mark Drakeford was asked if he was concerned the message may not be getting through to some people about the importance of vaccination.

The First Minister said: “One of the reasons why we’ve had the success in the program we’ve had in Wales is that we’ve always been able to draw on quite a large pool of people, a reserve list, or people who can come in and short notice.

“When we have people who don’t attend for appointments or who let us know that they’re not able to attend, we’ve been able to fill those slots very quickly – and there’s been no wastage of vaccination.

“As we succeed in vaccinating more and more people with second doses, that pool of people, our reserve pool, gets smaller and smaller.

“There’ll be fewer people we can call on to come in and take those 400 slots.

“That means it’s even more important that people do turn up for the appointments that have been made because we won’t be in a position in future where we can just get other people in to make up for their non attendance.

“If there was a message from me to everybody today it is about the real importance in this part of the programme, if you’ve made an appointment, or you’ve been offered an appointment and you can’t make it of course let the system know – and you’ll be offered a different appointment.

“But, if you were intending to go, please turn up. That vaccine is there for you. It will matter to you.

“We can’t rely now on there being lots of other people who you can call in in your place.”

You can view the full briefing on the below video link:

Yn fyw nawr gyda'r Prif Weinidog Mark Drakeford | Live now with First Minister Mark Drakeford https://t.co/ZsJnjgvHjD

— Welsh Government #KeepWalesSafe (@WelshGovernment) June 18, 2021