MORE than 13 per cent of the Ceredigion population has received the first coronavirus jab, Health Board figures show, as the vaccination programme picks up steam.

Hywel Dda said that as of 3 February, 9,530 people in the county had received the first vaccine - 13.2 per cent of people in Ceredigion.

Mass vaccination centres in Aberystwyth and Cardigan have seen large numbers through the doors in the past week, as those over 70 begin to get invites and vaccinated.

Throughout the region, more than 92 per cent of care home residents have received the first vaccination, with more than 83 per cent of those over 80 also receiving the jab.

Nearly a quarter of over 75s have also been vaccinated.

Chief Executive of Hywel Dda UHB Steve Moore said: “We aim to offer the vaccine to 100 per cent of people in the priority groups and realistically expect to achieve about 75 per cent of the population overall getting vaccinated.

“The high take-up we are seeing amongst the priority groups - where we can make the greatest difference to protecting the most vulnerable from death or serious harm from COVID-19 - is therefore really encouraging and we are confident we will reach the target of offering vaccination to people in priority groups 1-4 by mid-February.

“We are rolling out this vaccination programme as quickly as we can, with teams working incredibly hard, and using all our strengths as an integrated health system.

“Our aim is to ensure we reach everyone in the highest priority groups as quickly as possible and as close to home as possible recognising the different types of vaccine at our disposal and likely supply levels.

“That is why some groups will be vaccinated in their local GPs surgery and others at mass vaccination centres, sometimes concurrently.”