A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddatganiad am argaeledd y brechlyn niwmonia i bobl sy'n agored i niwed yng Ngogledd Cymru?
Individual GP surgeries are responsible for ordering the pneumococcal vaccine for suitable adults directly from the manufacturer or vaccine suppliers. The vaccine is not supplied centrally through the NHS.
There is an ongoing shortage of this vaccine affecting the whole of the UK and other countries. There is only one licensed vaccine (Pneumovax®) and supplies are being made available only intermittently to the UK market by the manufacturing company.
People with specific long-term health problems and everyone over 65 are recommended to have a pneumococcal vaccine but the amounts supplied aren’t sufficient to vaccinate everyone who is eligible at present.
In response to the shortage, NHS Wales has been issued guidance on how to prioritise the available vaccine supplies so those people at greatest risk will have a vaccination first. Adults with serious health conditions are being offered the vaccine before those aged 65 and over without health problems.
There is no shortage of the pneumococcal vaccine offered to infants and toddlers but this vaccine is not suitable for older people. However, the high uptake in infants helps to control the spread of pneumococcal infection in the community across all age groups, including older people.