MORE than 6,000 people were vaccinated in Gwent in the first three weeks of the Pfizer vaccine rollout, the health board have confirmed.

Last week, Public Health Wales said more than 35,000 vaccines had been administered as of 8am on December 27.

Currently the vaccine is available for people in the top two priority groups: residents in a care home for older adults and their carers; and over 80s and frontline health and social care workers.

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The total number of people within the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area who fall into the top two priority groups is 60,400 people, 30,000 of whom are over 80.

People eligible for the vaccine will receive their invitation for the vaccine "over the next few weeks."

"As a Health Board our intent is to vaccinate as many eligible people as quickly and as safely as possible," said a health board spokesman.

"We are following the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) priority groups and have plans in place to vaccinate the top two priority groups in the first instance.

"We plan to open a number of mass vaccination centres across Gwent, including in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly borough, Monmouthshire and Newport as vaccine supply becomes available.

"In addition mobile units will be used to help deliver the vaccine to care homes, and via some GP practices across Gwent.

"The approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine has now enabled us to start vaccinating residents within care homes.

"Over the first three weeks of delivering the rollout, we have vaccinated more than 6,000 people, using all the supply we received. We have plans in place to deliver to the top two priority groups in line with future supplies, as they become available.

"For residents over the age of 80, the majority of residents will receive their invitation for the vaccine via letter, which you should expect to receive over the next few weeks.

"If appointments are available at short notice people may also be contacted by phone but the main invitation route will be via letter."

All Gwent residents will receive a letter from the health board and local authorities with further information about the distribution of the vaccine.

"We will continue to keep you updated, however due to a number of variable factors, such as the number of doses we are allocated plans can change at short notice," said a spokesman.

"We want to thank you for your continued support and together we will help keep Gwent safe."

For further information on the vaccine, visit abuhb.nhs.wales/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine