Second Covid vaccines doses brought forward by two weeks in North Wales

North Wales’ health board has announced it is bringing the second dose interval for both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines forward from eight to six weeks.

The move, which is effective from today, has been confirmed by Gill Harris, Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Betsi Cadwaladr University, who has given a wide ranging update on the vaccine roll out.

She said: “This week we have reached the significant milestone of fully vaccinating 400,000 eligible adults in North Wales.

“This means that almost seven in ten eligible adults have at least 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation, should they contract COVID-19.

“New analysis from Public Health England shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96 per cent effective against hospitalisation after two doses, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 per cent effective against hospitalisation after both doses.

“Our minimum target is to vaccinate 75 per cent of people in each eligible age group with both doses, in order to achieve a level of community protection that will help us eventually return to normal life.

“First dose take up is at least 80 per cent in each age group above the age of forty, but take up among people aged 30-39 is currently 70 per cent.

“We need approximately 6,000 more people in this age group to come forward to get to 75 per cent.

“Seventy eight per cent of 18-29 year olds have now had a first dose, and although there is more work to do in some communities, take up from younger people in many counties is amongst the highest in the UK.”

Second doses brought forward

Effective from today the health board is bringing forward the second dose interval for both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine from eight to six weeks.

If six weeks have passed since you had your first dose, from today onwards, you can book your second dose using the online booking service.

The health board explained the new six-week interval is consistent with expert guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

It said: “It will enable us to be more efficient in our use of vaccine supply and ensure that more people receive the full of protection of both doses sooner.

“This is particularly important, given the huge increase in cases of the Delta variant over recent weeks.”

Long-COVID

“When deciding whether or not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s important that people consider their chances of developing long-COVID, as well as their risk of becoming seriously ill in the first few weeks following infection.”

“Any case of COVID-19, whether it’s asymptomatic, mild, severe, or hospitalised, incurs up to a 20 per cent risk of developing long-COVID, which can last for at least 12 weeks.

“Symptoms can include debilitating fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pains, sleeping difficulties and problems with memory and concentration.

“The best way to protect yourself against potential serious illness and the debilitating longer-term side effects of long-COVID is to have both doses of the vaccine.”

Walk in and pop up clinics

Getting your first or second dose is now easier than ever via the online booking system.

If you cannot access the internet to book online, you can phone the COVID-19 Vaccination Contact Centre on 03000 840004. The lines can be very busy, so please be patient.

New vaccination clinics are also accepting walk ins without an appointment, where supply allows:

• Catrin Finch Centre (Wrexham LL11 2HS) 9am – 6pm Tuesday – Sunday during July (except 20/07/2021)
• Deeside Mass Vaccination Centre (CH5 1SA) 9am – 6pm Tuesday – Sunday during July (except 20/07/2021)
• Bangor Cathedral (LL57 1LH) 8.30am – 7pm every day apart from Wednesday and Sunday
• Venue Cymru (Llandudno LL30 1BB) 08:30 – 7:15pm Sunday – Friday
• OpTic Centre (St Asaph Business Park LL17 0JD) 09:30 – 5:15pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday

The health board will also be holding more mobile ‘pop up’ vaccination clinics in areas of high footfall over the coming weeks.

Missed appointments

The health board has asked people to make every effort to attend appointments booked in advance.

It said: “Each missed appointment places significant additional pressure on our vaccination staff, and makes it more difficult for others to book at a time and date that is convenient for them.”

“We are also once again appealing to employers across the region to please be sympathetic to requests for their staff to take time off to attend vaccination appointments.”

 You can find the online booking system here.