The first Covid-19 vaccinations in North Powys have taken place today (Tuesday, December 15) in Newtown.

Last week, nearly 1,000 health and care workers received their vaccination at Bronllys Hospital in Brecon.

Now the county’s vaccination programme has expanded into the north of the county, with hundreds more booked in for vaccination in Newtown.

Carol Morgan, a community psychiatric nurse from north Powys, was the first person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from the Newtown vaccination centre, based at the Park Day Centre, when it opened on Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m very grateful to have the vaccine, and proud be the first person to receive it at the Newtown vaccination hub,” she said. 

The second person to be vaccinated was Warren Tolley from the Powys Teaching Health Board dental team.

County Times: Warren Tolley after receiving his COVID-19 vaccination

“It is a great relief to have the vaccine," he said.

"It’s really important that everyone has their second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to ensure the best protection. And even after the second dose it’s vital that we all maintain social distancing, infection prevention and control, and use of PPE to keep ourselves and our patients safe.”

Next in line was Ann, a social worker from Powys County Council social services team in Newtown. Ann said: “It’s a privilege to be one of the first to receive the vaccine.”

County Times: Ann from the PCC social work team after receiving her COVID-19 vaccination

The first jabs have been carried out using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is the only one to have been approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency so far.

Because of the very specific requirements for temperature control and storage for this vaccine – it is supposed to be stored at minus 70 degrees – it is being provided to the county’s frontline health and care workers in the first instance from the two vaccination hubs.

Work is well under way to expand the vaccination as quickly as possible to people in care homes and people over 80 years old.

People are being asked not to contact GPs about the vaccine, with Powys Teaching Health Board saying it will communicate the information once it is available in care homes and to the wider public.

Invitations to health and care workers in the first phase of this vaccination programme have been sent to them by their employer. Appointments are being offered in Bronllys and Newtown in the first instance, with clinics currently alternating between the two sites.

More information on the vaccination programme in Wales is available from the Public Health Wales website at here.