A new mass vaccination centre opened in Gwent earlier this month, providing a setting for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to administer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The centre opened in Cwmbran on December 8 – when the first vaccinations were administered to health workers and people from at-risk groups.
The vaccine, which needs to be administered in two doses, will initially be prioritised and available for those aged 80 and over, care home staff and residents and those working within health and social care.
In the area covered by Aneurin Bevan health board, as is the case across all other health board areas in Wales, people in priority groups will receive an invitation when it is their time to receive their dose of the vaccine.
For people in Gwent, at present, this is likely to mean they will come to the mass vaccination centre for it to be administered.
This is everything we know so far about the site.
Where is it?
The mass vaccination centre has been set up at the Torfaen Leisure Trust site in Cwmbran.
When did vaccinations begin?
The first doses of the vaccine were administered at the site on December 8.
Who is currently receiving vaccinations at the site?
In line with UK Government guidance, the groups currently receiving vaccinations at the site are care home staff, health workers, and people in priority groups identified by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
You can read more about the priority groups here.
I live in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area, am I able to go the vaccination centre?
No, not currently, unless you are invited to do so.
A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “Members of the public should not attend the centre unless directed by a health professional.
“As more vaccine becomes available, appointments will be opened to other priority groups in line with the UK guidance.”
What infection control measures are in place at the centre?
Staff at the centre wear PPE in line with national guidance, the health board has said.
The centre has also been configured to “enable a measure flow of people in and out of the vaccination site to maintain social distancing and help with infection prevention and control procedures.”
How will the vaccine be rolled out in the health board area?
In Gwent, as is the case across Wales, health and social care workers, care home residents and staff and the over-80s are prioritised for the first round of vaccinations.
As more vaccination doses become available, the NHS will then vaccinate people in order of clinical risk.
If you are in one of the initial priority groups and eligible for the vaccine, you’ll be invited to attend a dedicated vaccination centre, Public Health Wales has said.
However, it still remains unclear when that will be in Wales, as it depends on how many vaccination doses Wales receives and when.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has not yet published its full plans for how it will deliver the vaccination as other health boards have done.
It it is not yet sure if the Cwmbran site will remain the only vaccination centre or if others will open in other local authority areas in Gwent.
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