The GP Covid-19 vaccination programme for over 80s has started, with all 49 practices in Swansea Bay signing up to deliver the first vaccination to patients in this age group.

Across the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot region, the total number of people aged 80+ is approximately 24,000.

The Swansea Bay GP practices plan to vaccinate patients in this age group with a first does in the next few weeks. Patients will be called back for a second dose within 12 weeks of the first.

Surgeries in Mumbles, and across Swansea, will be contacting patients directly by telephone or letter to arrange an appointment. Swansea Bay Health Board asks patients not to ring their surgery, health board, or local authority and to instead wait for an invitation.

Appointments have started going out from GP practices across Swansea Bay.

When you have your Covid-19 vaccine, you will get a credit card-sized NHS Wales immunisation card. This will act as a reminder about your second dose and will also have information about how to report any side effects.

Vaccinations are also underway in care homes in Swansea.

There are nine priority groups for the vaccine, and Swansea Bay Health Board say that they hope to have covered the first four (below) by the middle of February:

1. Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
2. All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
3. All those 75 years of age and over
4. All those 70 years of age and over; and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals

Vaccinations will be delivered at a variety of venues: at a hospital, GP surgery, community building, in your home (if you are housebound) or at one of the mass vaccination centres which are opening.

The mass vaccination centres include Bay Hospital, Margam, and the Canolfan Centre in Gorseinon.

You will get full details of your appointment when you are contacted.

In a letter to Mumbles residents on Facebook, Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council, said:

"Age is by far and away the single biggest risk of death from Covid-19, which is why the national Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation proposed that the national vaccination programme would first of all be aimed at protecting older individuals.

"However, priority is also being given to people who are at high risk of serious illness or death for other reasons, for example, because they are immunocompromised or have underlying health issues."

Cllr Stewart continued: "As the vaccine is rolled out, we all need to follow the safety rules and keep ourselves and our families safe. To do this, we all need to meet as few people as possible, wash our hands regularly, wear a face covering and keep two metres distance from people we don't live with."

The vaccination is free, so surgeries will never ask for any financial or bank details from patients. This follows warnings from Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, after numerous scams were reported.

He said: "I want to make people aware that there are a number of scams involving Covid, including a particularly nasty one in which people have been tricked into paying for a Covid vaccine and then being jabbed in the arm.

"Our NHS will never ask anyone to pay for a Covid vaccine, these are free.

"They will never ask for your bank details and vaccines are not being delivered to your front door by people who have not been identified as NHS staff.

"Everyone will be contacted directly by our NHS either by phone or letter advising you about where you will have your vaccine.

"If you think you have been targeted please tell someone that you trust."

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