Welsh Gov implements change in advice on Covid-19 jabs for under 40s

The Welsh Government is implementing a change in the advice on jabs for the people under 40 who have with no clinical risk factors.

It has announced that those who are not yet vaccinated will be offered an alternate to AstraZeneca, and says this change will be implemented immediately.

The Government says it is a precautionary measure, and that it is adhering to the latest expert information from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The appropriate vaccine will be made available to people at their appointment. Everybody who has already had a first dose of the AstraZeneca, vaccine should still receive a second dose of the same brand, irrespective of age, in line with JVCI advice. But medical exemptions may apply to a very small minority.

It says that it does not envisage that this will lead to a delay to the roll-out of the vaccine programme in Wales.

‘Safe’ 

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The AstraZeneca vaccine has already saved thousands of lives and remains safe and effective for the majority of the population.

“Over 1.2million people have received the AZ vaccine in Wales since January, with very few cases of the rare clotting with thrombocytopenia event.

“Vaccines remain the best way out of this pandemic and provide strong protection against Covid-19 – it is important that when people are called forward, they should get their jab.

“To date, over 1.8million people in Wales have received a first dose of vaccine and a further 800,000 have also received a second dose.

“The Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and NHS Wales are working with other agencies to continually monitor vaccine safety and will keep this issue under close review.

“In Wales, people’s safety will always come first and we will only use vaccines where it is safe to do so and the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.”