‘It’s a huge feeling of relief,’ says pensioner who is fed up with being housebound
CARDIFF, along with the rest of Wales, has now offered a vaccine to everyone in the top four priority groups.
This includes everyone over 70, frontline health and social care staff, and those categorised as “clinically extremely vulnerable”‘, such as those with respiratory conditions.
Speaking at today’s Welsh Government press conference, Mark Drakeford said the NHS will spend the next few days “checking and re-checking” that everyone eligible has been offered the vaccine. Anyone who has not is urged to contact their GP.
Doctor Sally Lewis, who has led the vaccination programme in Wales, said there was a “feeling of relief” for people getting their Covid vaccines.
One person who has experienced this relief is Josie Jackson, 86, who lives in Maindy. Her son took her to the All Nations Church, where she had the Oxford vaccine.
Ms Jackson said she wanted the vaccine as she’s “fed up of being housebound”. She hopes to get out more once she has had her second dose.
Ms Jackson said she believes it’s very important for lots of people to have the vaccine
“All my friends have had the vaccine now, except one. I’m going to ring her this week and tell her she should.”
She said she thinks the rollout has been well organised. “If older people didn’t have transport they’d help them get transport. My friend went in a wheelchair, and a coach came and picked her up for free and took her there and back.”
Dylan Crimmins, 22, received the Pfizer vaccine at the Splott mass vaccination centre. He works in a Cardiff care home for disabled children.
When offered the vaccine, Mr Crimmins had to call the health centre to arrange an appointment. He initially struggled, having to call the health board hundreds of times over a couple of weeks before he was able to get arrange an appointment.
However Mr Crimmins is now happy to have had his vaccine, saying it is “the only way I can see an end to this pandemic”.
He added he also wants to protect the children that he works with: “When staff test positive, all the kids have to isolate, and sometimes can’t even have time in the garden. I want to help them get back to some normality.”
Data from Public Health Wales shows that vaccination and lockdown may be starting to ease pressure on the NHS. 41% of intensive care beds in Cardiff and the Vale are currently filled with Covid patients. At the same time last month, this figure was 61%.
So far this week, there are 161 cases of Covid-19. This is 49 cases per 100,000 people. Last week there were 357 cases in the city, or 97 per 100,000. 102 cases were reported in the last 24 hour period. This is the lowest rate the city has had since late September.
