"Credit where credit is due", says Welsh Tory leader.
After a slow start to the jab roll-out, Wales has now overtaken England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to become one of the most vaccinated nations in the world.
Wales has now given a first dose to more than 20% of its population, becoming the first UK nation to reach that milestone.
A month ago, the Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford was criticised by Conservatives like Stephen Crabb and Andrew RT Davies for saying the vaccination campaign was “not a sprint”.
Drakeford had said that there are only two places in Wales where Pfizer vaccines can be kept at the ultra-low temperatures necessary. Once taken out of these freezers, they need to be used within five days or they’ll be wasted. So the goverment did not want to distribute more than could be injected.
While England has focussed its vaccination campaign on primary care hubs, Wales started by prioritising mass vaccination centres before increasing the role of GPs.
Initially critical, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has since welcomed the Labour government’s progress. “Credit where credit is due, these are good numbers and heading in the right direction,” he said.
The Welsh NHS is now asking people over-70 or in a vulnerable group to call them to book a vaccination appointment.
Joe Lo is a co-editor of Left Foot Forward
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