The vaccination programme in Wales has been delivered at significant pace with local, national and UK partners working together to vaccinate a significant proportion of the Welsh population.

We looked at the shape of the programme, how it is performing, the factors that have affected rollout to date, and future challenges and opportunities.

At the time of reporting, vaccination rates in Wales were the highest of the four UK nations, and some of the highest in the world. 

What we found

The Welsh Government’s vaccination strategy has provided a strong motivation to drive the programme, and all milestones have been met to date.

Vaccine uptake is high, but there is lower uptake for some ethnic groups and in the most deprived communities, as well as non-attendance at booked appointments in general.

There is learning to take away from the positive way in which the vaccine programme has been rolled out to date. This learning should be looked to apply to wider immunisation strategies and other programmes in NHS Wales.