Following the authorisation of the AstraZeneca vaccine as safe by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the first vaccinations of this vaccine have taken place in Wales.

Two doses will be needed, with an interval of between four and 12 weeks between doses. This is a change from previous advice of a four week gap between doses, as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that as many people as possible in the top priority groups should sequentially be offered a first vaccine dose as the initial priority.

https://gov.wales/second-covid-19-vaccine-arrives-wales

https://covid19-phwstatement.nhs.wales

The advance in vaccination was accompanied by the news that the four UK Chief Medical Officers have agreed the UK is now at the highest level of risk, level 5.

In the light of that decision the Welsh Government, in consultation with the WLGA and Colegau Cymru, has agreed that all schools, colleges and independent schools should move to online learning until 18 January.

Public Health Wales has issued FAQs on the new variant of COVID-19 which is causing cases to rise:

New Variant of COVID-19: FAQs - Public Health Wales (nhs.wales)