COVID-19 Vaccine

Part of 4. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 4:10 pm on 11 November 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 4:10, 11 November 2020

In terms of the point about when will we be ready in Wales, we have had planning scenarios so that if a vaccine—and it is still an 'if'—is available before the end of this year, then we will be able to undertake that programme here in Wales. And if that was 1 December, then we could do so. That does depend on a number of factors, though. It depends on who we'd be delivering the vaccine to, and that depends on the allocation of that and the understanding of the advice that we and every other UK nation will have had from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the expert committee that advises us on the effectiveness and prioritisation within the population for any new vaccination. It also, of course, depends on the vaccine being available in any event. Whilst the trials are promising, this is not ready and available to us. It also depends on the particular characteristics of this vaccine, which needs not just two deliveries, but requires storage at very, very low levels. So, yes, I can give the assurance that I gave last week as well, that, if we are in a position to have a vaccine delivered to us, then we can deliver it and distribute it across Wales this December. 

In terms of the conversations and the range of conversations that are taking place with the chief medical officer and others, what I think would be more helpful would be if I provide a note to Members more generally, rather than a data dump, that sets out the nature of the arrangements we have. And I'd be happy to provide a written statement in the coming days to set out the nature of our planning and where we are with each of our organisations. And the Member will of course understand that those conversations do, as I said earlier, depend on the particular characteristics of each vaccine, and this one in particular, with its requirement for very low temperatures for storage.