Emergency Question: The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:40 pm on 19 January 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:40, 19 January 2021

Thank you for those comments. When it comes to our delivery, you will have noticed that we have made real progress on increasing the number of mass vaccination centres. That now means that we can increase the delivery of the Pfizer vaccine. That's why we're able to confidently predict we'll be able to not just deliver 60,000 doses to our NHS, but they will then be able to put them into the arms of people and to give them protection. We are making progress. The pace is increasing week on week and the figures demonstrate that. And I hope the Member is genuine in his comments, because we all want this programme to succeed, and I hope that, from the concerns he is expressing now and, to be fair, has regularly done so, he'll then give some credit to the Government and our national health service if we do, as I expect, achieve the milestone of having protected the first four priority groups by the middle of February, as will other UK nations expect to do as well. 

When it comes to where we are, I don't just hope we'll have reached seven in 10 care home residents and staff by the weekend, I don't just hope we'll have reached 70 per cent of the over-80s by the end of the weekend, I expect us to do so. And I can say that my current understanding is that we have already managed to do so for the majority of our over-80s population. I'll have more figures available later this week that I'd be happy to provide to Members and the public to provide the confidence that the Member says he wants to understand and to be able to provide to the wider public. This is a programme that is gathering in pace. We recognise the importance, and I certainly understand the urgency of this for all of us, regardless of our views on politics, to provide a different future for the rest of this year, because the vaccination programme is absolutely protecting our most vulnerable and helping to save lives.