ALL frontline Welsh ambulance service staff have now been offered a first dose of coronavirus vaccine - a key marker on the way to completing that offer for everyone in the top four priority groups.

Health minister Vaughan Gething said that achieving this marker - one of three set out in the Welsh Government's coronavirus vaccine strategy published last week - "sets us on the right track towards achieving our first milestone".

That first milestone is to offer a first dose of the vaccine to priority groups one to four: All care home residents and staff; frontline health and social care staff; people aged 70 years and over; and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.

The aim, subject to supply of vaccine is to do this by the middle of February.

In addition to the offer to all frontline ambulance service staff, Mr Gething said good progress is also being made towards having offered the vaccine to all care home residents and staff by the end of this month.

READ MORE:

"We are currently vaccinating almost 1,000 care home residents a day," he said.

"Absolutely critical to the delivery of our strategy is the ongoing building of our infrastructure.

"This is aimed at providing a mix of sites in order to maximise speed of roll out, ensure safety, meet the needs of the characteristics of the vaccines, be as conveniently located as possible and, importantly, make sure we give equitable access across the country and to all communities.

In the past week, four more mass vaccination centres have opened in Wales, bringing the total to 28, with a further 17 planned.

More than 100 GP practices are now offering the vaccine, and it is now expected that the 250 practices committed to in the strategy by the end of January, will be exceeded.

Doses of vaccine delivered to health boards have doubled this week, from around 50,000 to more than 100,000.

And a pilot project for vaccinations from community pharmacies has begun, involving a pharmacy in north Wales.

More information will also be published from next week about the numbers of people receiving first doses, beginning with over-80s and care home residents.

And from next Tuesday, weekly updates on vaccine supply and wastage, and on progress against the strategy, will also be provided.