A vaccination centre will open in Aberystwyth “within the next week” and all GPs will have access to supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of this week, the chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board has said, with the vaccination programme “accelerating at a remarkable pace”.

Maria Battle, chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has urged people “not to lose hope” as the vaccination programme continues to be rolled out.

Figures revealed that while it took 31 days to reach the first 10,000 vaccinations in the region, it was only 11 days for the second 10,000 – with more than five per cent of the population now been given the first jab.

“This will significantly increase each week until together we win our fight against this pandemic,” Ms Battle said.

“People are naturally tired and weary and frightened after almost a year of being under the siege of this pandemic.

“It’s easy to lose faith and trust after such a long time in lockdown, in the middle of a dark winter and when the media is constantly full of reports about the virus.”

The Pfizer vaccine first arrived in the Hywel Dda area on 8 December last year – which was an “emotional moment”, Ms Battle said, and “the beginning of the end of this dreadful time”.

“The first people to receive the vaccine were front line health and social care staff, from Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, who are putting themselves at risk every working day,” she said.

“Since then more Pfizer vaccines have been arriving each week which has enabled mass vaccination centres to be opened in Cardigan and Haverfordwest with plans for centres in Aberystwyth within the next week, and then Llanelli to follow.”

The first supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine arrived on 2 January and should be “in all our 48 practices by the end of this week”.

“This means we have mass vaccination occurring the length and breadth of Hywel Dda, closer to home and in familiar surroundings,” Ms Battle said.

“Community pharmacies are also ready and willing to give the vaccine and we are working with them to enable this when possible and as our supplies increase.”