More than a quarter of Ceredigion residents have now received their first coronavirus vaccine, figures show.

Hywel Dda Health Board confirmed it had met its target to over everyone in the first four priority groups the vaccine by mid February.

The board said the milestone has been achieved thanks to the “amazing efforts of vaccination teams and GP practices”, with residents “coming forward in large numbers to receive their vaccine”.

The health board said the uptake left the region “in a very strong position to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and our local NHS”, but warned that vaccine number will now start to slow down.

In Ceredigion, 18,701 people have been vaccinated as of 17 February, with 25.7 per cent of the county’s population now having received the first jab, latest figures showed.

Across the Hywel Dda region, more than 90 per cent of all those aged 70 or over have been given the first vaccination, with vaccinations beginning for those aged over 65.

A Hywel Dda spokesperson said: “We hope to see this high uptake continue as GP practices start to invite people in priority group 5, those aged 65 to 69-year-olds this week.

“Our aim is to offer everyone in group five a first vaccine appointment by Friday, 12 March.

“Over the next couple of weeks you may notice the number of vaccines being delivered will slow down compared to recent weeks.

“This is due to a reduction in the amount of vaccines we will receive – this is a planned and expected change in supply that will affect the whole of the UK.

“We have factored this into our plans and it will not affect people’s appointments.

“By the end of this week, members of our vaccination teams will have visited all acute, community and Enfys field hospitals to vaccinate patients in priority groups one to four.

“This will become a rolling programme with all sites revisited to ensure any new admissions who have not yet received the vaccine in the community are vaccinated in line with priority groups.”