Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services issues statement on ending of the COVID-19 vaccine primary and booster dose universal offers

Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services has issued the following statement on the  Ending of the COVID-19 vaccine primary and booster dose universal offers:

In my statement on 25th January 2023, I confirmed that I had accepted the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommendations for changes to the universal ‘nobody left behind’ offer for the COVID-19 vaccination programme. I can now provide more detail on the operational implications in Wales of that announcement.

Due to the high level of strong population immunity developed over the past two and a half years, and as we move from a pandemic emergency response towards a more sustainable, business as usual approach:

The offer of the initial two dose universal primary course of vaccine, that was offered from December 2020 to all the population aged over 5, will cease on 30th June 2023
The offer of the universal booster (third) dose, offered from autumn 2021 to all the population aged over 5, will cease on 31st March 2023
This means that those aged 5 to 49, who have not had their primary course or their 2021 booster dose, have until those dates to take up these offers.

This does not signal a closure of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, we expect COVID­-19 vaccination to continue to be a feature of our vaccination programme in Wales. People who develop a new health condition that places them in a clinical risk group, who haven’t yet had their primary course and/or booster dose, will still be able to be vaccinated during the next campaign window or sooner on the advice of a clinician.

Additionally, as previously announced, people at higher risk (as determined by the JCVI) will be offered an additional booster in Autumn 2023 and planning is also currently underway for a possible Spring 2023 booster programme, subject to advice shortly from the JCVI on this.

The vaccine continues to be the best way to prevent serious illness and the spread of COVID-19 and I would urge everyone eligible who has not yet had their primary course or their original 2021 booster dose to come forward before these universal offers end.

Datganiad ysgrifenedig gan Eluned Morgan, y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol: Y cynigion cyffredinol i gael dos cychwynnol a dos atgyfnerthu o frechlyn COVID-19 yn dod i ben

Yn fy natganiad ar 25 Ionawr 2023, rhoddais gadarnhad fy mod wedi derbyn argymhellion y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu (JCVI) i newid y cynnig cyffredinol o ‘adael neb ar ôl’ o dan y rhaglen frechu COVID-19. Gallaf yn awr gynnig rhagor o fanylion ynghylch goblygiadau’r cyhoeddiad hwnnw i’r trefniadau gweithredol yng Nghymru.

Mae’r boblogaeth wedi meithrin lefel uchel o imiwnedd dros y ddwy flynedd a hanner ddiwethaf ac, wrth inni symud o ymateb i argyfwng y pandemig tuag at ddull ‘busnes fel arfer’, mwy cynaliadwy, byddwn yn gweithredu fel a ganlyn:

Bydd y cynnig o ddau ddos cychwynnol o’r cwrs sylfaenol cyffredinol o frechlyn, a gynigiwyd o fis Rhagfyr 2020 i’r holl boblogaeth dros 5 oed, yn dod i ben ar 30 Mehefin 2023
Bydd y cynnig o ddos atgyfnerthu cyffredinol (trydydd dos), a gynigiwyd o hydref 2021 i’r holl boblogaeth dros 5 oed, yn dod i ben ar 31 Mawrth 2023
Mae hyn yn golygu bod gan y rhai rhwng 5 a 49 oed sydd heb gael eu cwrs sylfaenol neu eu dos atgyfnerthu yn 2021 tan y dyddiadau hynny i fanteisio ar y cynigion hyn.

Nid yw hyn yn arwydd bod y rhaglen frechu COVID-19 yn cael ei chau. Rydym yn disgwyl i frechiadau COVID-19 barhau i fod yn nodwedd o’n rhaglen frechu yng Nghymru. Bydd unigolion sy’n datblygu cyflwr iechyd newydd sy’n eu rhoi mewn grŵp risg glinigol, sydd heb gael eu cwrs sylfaenol a/neu eu dos atgyfnerthu eto, yn dal i allu cael eu brechu yn ystod ffenestr nesaf yr ymgyrch, neu’n gynharach na hynny ar gyngor clinigydd.

At hynny, fel y cyhoeddwyd yn flaenorol, bydd unigolion sydd mewn mwy o berygl (fel y pennwyd gan y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu) yn cael cynnig brechiad atgyfnerthu arall yn hydref 2023. Mae cynlluniau hefyd ar y gweill ar hyn o bryd i gynnal rhaglen atgyfnerthu bosibl yng ngwanwyn 2023, yn amodol ar gyngor a ryddheir yn fuan gan y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu.

Cael eich brechu yw’r ffordd orau o hyd o atal salwch difrifol a lledaeniad COVID-19. Byddwn yn annog pawb sy’n gymwys ond sydd heb gael eu cwrs sylfaenol eto na’r dos atgyfnerthu gwreiddiol yn 2021 i ofyn am gael eu brechu cyn i’r cynigion cyffredinol hyn ddod i ben.