Hywel Dda Health Board has reversed a decision to vaccinate non-frontline Ceredigion County Council staff amid intense criticism.

Last week, Hywel Dda and Ceredigion council faced criticism after deciding to vaccinate non-frontline council staff, who are “critical to the Covid response”.

However, the health board has now decided to stop vaccinating this staff group.

A spokesperson for Hywel Dda said, while this staff group are vital for the delivering of Covid-19 response services, they have “reviewed the guidance and will now not be able to offer or vaccinate this group of staff currently”.

The spokesperson explained: “This is because it is increasingly difficult to draw the line around which staff should be included in this group and because we risk vaccinating before they are eligible.

“We must stay within the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation guidance which permits us only to vaccinate frontline health and social care staff, to protect patients and service users, at this point.”

A spokesperson for Ceredigion council added: “The decision was made with our partners last week to extend the vaccine invitation to staff groups critical to the Covid response, without which we would not be able to run essential Covid response services.

“The invitation was only extended once it was agreed that other staff groups had been provided ample opportunity to receive a vaccine and once all stand-by reserve lists were exhausted.

“This approach has led to the vaccine centres in Hywel Dda having one of the lowest vaccine wastage figures, despite the challenges of the rural location.”