Health board in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire encourages people to book second dose Pfizer COVID vaccine appointment

Hywel Dda University Health Board is asking anyone who received the Pfizer vaccine and has not received a second vaccine appointment yet, to get in touch.

The health board aims to complete all second Pfizer vaccine doses by week commencing Monday 12 April.

To check which vaccine you received, look at the card given to you when you received your first vaccine. It will say if you received either the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, or the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

If you received a first vaccine dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, the health board is asking people not to contact GP practices or the health board to ask about a second vaccine appointment. Only those who received a Pfizer first dose are being called right now.

Ros Jervis, Director of Public Health for Hywel Dda UHB, said: “Second doses are essential for longer term protection, so it’s important that everyone comes forward for their full course when called.

“Please only contact the health board at this time if you have received a first Pfizer vaccine but have not received a second vaccine appointment.

“Care home staff, health and social care staff, people aged 75 to 79 and people who were shielding, will have received the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine at one of our mass vaccination centres in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion or Pembrokeshire.”

To arrange a second Pfizer vaccine dose, contact the health board on 0300 303 8322. Phone lines are likely to get very busy according to the health board, and there may be a wait for the call to be answered. You can also email your name and contact phone number to COVIDenquiries.hdd@wales.nhs.uk

Care home residents, people aged over 80 and all other priority groups who have received the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine at their GP surgery or mass vaccination centre will be contacted between 11 to 12 weeks following their first vaccine with an appointment time for their second dose of Oxford AstraZeneca.

Hywel Dda are assuring people that this is a safe and appropriate interval between both doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and early reports from Oxford University support a 12-week interval between doses for maximum vaccine protection.

The health board has put in place transport support for anyone who may have difficulty attending their vaccination appointment. If you have no other means of travel, please mention this when you contact them to book your appointment.