WALES is the first nation of the UK to vaccinate 20 per cent of its population against coronavirus, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

He said Wales "is one of the first countries in the world" to hit the 20 per cent milestone.

"Huge congratulations to our amazing vaccination teams," Mr Drakeford said on Twitter last night.

Following early criticism over vaccine distribution and rollout, Wales has now crept above England, Northern Ireland and Scotland in the percentage of its population vaccinated.

The latest figures show 655,419 people in Wales have now received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

South Wales Argus: Chart published by first minister Mark Drakeford showing the percentage of people to receive their first coronavirus vaccines in the four nations of the UK.Chart published by first minister Mark Drakeford showing the percentage of people to receive their first coronavirus vaccines in the four nations of the UK.

The daily reports by Public Health Wales also breakdown those figures into priority groups:

In Wales, 86.8 per cent of people aged 80 or over have taken up their first jab.

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Other age groups to have been invited for vaccines include those aged 75-79 (of whom 81.8 per cent have taken up their first jab) and those aged 70-74 (66.7 per cent uptake).

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board yesterday issued advice on what to do if you are in one of the top four priority groups and have yet to be invited for a first dose.

In care homes - the other top priority group - the vast majority of staff (82.7 per cent) and residents (78.4 per cent) in Wales have received their first coronavirus vaccine.

The number of health care workers who have been vaccinated currently stands at 116,567 people.

Following news Wales had hit the 20 per cent milestone, health minister Vaughan Gething – who oversees the vaccine rollout in Wales – said he was "very proud of our teams across the country".