Community Vaccination Centre set to be opened
A COMMUNITY vaccination centre is set to open in Rhondda Cynon Taf and another has opened in Merthyr Tydfil.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is supporting the national roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, and in partnership with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, will open a new Covid-19 Community Vaccination Centre at Rhondda Sports Centre in Ystrad.
The council-owned Rhondda Sports Centre will be remodelled to provide vaccines to those who need them the most.
People have to be invited to have a vaccination and require an appointment to attend. The vaccine is being rolled out in priority order based on the level of risk faced by different groups.
The prioritisation of groups is decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation at a UK level.
This priority list is as follows:
Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
All those 75 years of age and over
All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
All those 65 years of age and over ■ All individuals 16 years to 64 aged years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality ■ All those 60 years of age and over ■ All those 55 years of age and over
All those 50 years of age and over
The Covid-19 Community Vaccination Centre at Rhondda Sports Centre will be the second centre of its kind established by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board confirmed it opened the doors of another community vaccination centre at Merthyr Leisure Centre in Merthyr Tydfil last week.
The health board stressed that nobody should visit a community vaccination centre unless they already have an appointment.
The leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, councillor Andrew Morgan, said: “As well as supporting the establishment of Covid-19 Community Vaccination Centres at our sites, our staff are supporting the administration of booking vaccinations for those most at risk, and we will shortly be training more staff to administer the vaccine, so the vaccine can be rolledout even faster.
“We are also in discussions with local GP clusters and primary care providers to provide additional venues if required, and plans are in place for this.
“The vaccine offers us an opportunity to change the tide against this deadly virus. However, while we continue to roll out to those groups who at most at risk from the virus, we must all continue to follow the measures put in place to protect the health of ourselves and those around us, especially continuing to social distance, wash our hands regularly, and wearing a mask were required or where there are other people.
“We are at a really critical moment in this health emergency, with significant infections still happening every day, and a continuing rise in hospital admissions, which is impacting hospital services.
“Our NHS colleagues are under considerable pressure due to Covid-19, and we are determined to support them in any way possible so they can continue to focus on treating those who need it most.”
He added: “We also need the support of the community more than ever, we understand how difficult it has been for people to live with significant restrictions on their daily lives, and I want to thank all those residents who continue to follow the restrictions put in place.
“The vaccine offers us hope, and we need to continue to suppress this virus to prevent additional deaths until the most vulnerable in our community are protected.”