The UK will start rolling out the Coronavirus vaccine produced by Moderna on Wednesday, making it the third vaccine in circulation in the country.
The Welsh government said the vaccine will be distributed first in West Wales and 5,000 doses will be sent to vaccination centers in the Hywel Dda University Board of Health area.
“This is another key milestone in our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. A third vaccine for use in Wales significantly increases our defenses against the coronavirus and will help protect the most vulnerable, ”Wales Health Minister Vaughan Gething said in a statement.
“Every vaccine given to someone in Wales is a small victory against the virus and we encourage everyone to go for their vaccine when invited.”
The UK is already distributing vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca. Launch of the Moderna vaccine is occurring approximately two weeks earlier than expected.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he hopes to fully reopen the British economy on June 21 pending the successful distribution of the vaccine.
The government announced Tuesday that three in five UK adults have received at least one dose. However, Johnson has had to quell concerns about the AstraZeneca injection as the UK drug regulator investigates scattered cases of blood clots in adults.