Welsh GPs join forces to vaccinate over 80s

GPs in rural communities across Wales are joining forces to set up community vaccination centres to help vaccinate more people closer to home.

Three centres being run by a collaboration of GP practices opened on 24 January allowing the Pfizer vaccination to be used at a local level as well as the Oxford AstraZeneca. Previously, the Pfizer vaccine had to be used in Wales’ special mass vaccination centres due to the ultra-low temperatures it needs to be stored at.

The community vaccination centres have been set up by health boards as part of the Welsh government’s vaccination roll-out strategy with the first three located on the Llŷn Peninsula, Buckley in Denbighshire and North Bridgend.

The new centres will initially help with vaccinating people over 80 and those with mobility issues in rural communities. It is anticipated around 3,000 people will be vaccinated at the three centres this weekend.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “Vaccination is our top priority so I want to thank all the GP practices right across Wales that are working in unison to set up these new community vaccination centres. This enables GPs to use both of the vaccines available to us and will help more people to be vaccinated somewhere that is much closer to home than the large vaccination centres.

“Every week, our vaccination programme speeds up as more centres are opened and more vaccines are available for the small army of healthcare professionals administering vaccines. I’d encourage any other GP practices in our rural communities who could work together to get in touch with their health board.”