Emergency Question: The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 19 January 2021.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 1:50, 19 January 2021

Minister, the First Minister, in making the statements he did yesterday, has caused a lot of anxiety, concern and upset. Actually, he's leading vulnerable people to believe that they are now at an increased risk of contracting the virus, and no more so than in Aberconwy.

Do you agree with the First Minister that all available Pfizer vaccines should not be made available as quickly as possible? You claimed that the challenge was having enough infrastructure to deliver the Pfizer jab without wasting it, but how can you stand by what you've said when locations down the road from me here at Venue Cymru have only been working three days a week, instead of the agreed six days, because they can't get enough vaccines? How do you respond to GPs working in my constituency who are absolutely furious because some have agreed to issue 100 doses a day for six days a week, yet in the last two weeks, have only managed to complete 100 a week? That's due to them not being able to obtain the supplies. Why are you not listening to the health professionals and all those hard-working health staff delivering these vaccines? As has been pointed out, Dr David Bailey, chair of the British Medical Association in Wales, is asking you—and I quote—

'to stop sitting on supplies and get on with it.'

And as a GP said to me yesterday, 'Will you please tell Mr Vaughan Gething from me that I want those vaccinations in the arms of our people here in Aberconwy? They are no use to anyone sitting on a shelf and all that's going to succeed if that happens is that the virus is going to be harder to defeat and patients will lose lives.' It doesn't get any more serious than that, Minister, so please listen to what you are being told. Diolch, Llywydd.