Cardiff and Vale UHB recognised twice for excellence at the Vaccination Saves Lives (VSL) Awards
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board was recognised twice for excellence at the Vaccination Saves Lives (VSL) Awards 2025.
The Team Award was given to the Cardiff and Vale Public Health Team and vaccination colleagues for their outstanding partnership work with Cardiff Council and Vale of Glamorgan Council, while the Champion Award was given to CAVUHB Healthcare Assistant Julie Morgan.
Held on Thursday, 1 May, the annual VSL awards recognise, reward and celebrate the hard work and dedication that goes into immunisation programmes across Wales.
Claire Beynon, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Executive Director of Public Health, said: "I'm immensely proud of everyone across the organisation whose dedication, collaboration, and hard work made this recognition at the Vaccination Saves Lives Awards possible.
"These achievements are a testament to the incredible teamwork that drives everything we do. Vaccinations are one of the most powerful tools we have to protect public health, and these awards reflect our continued commitment to keeping our communities safe and healthy."
Here are all the winners on the night:
Team Award - Celebrates a group of two or more working on the same project. Winner: CAVUHB, Cardiff Council & Vale of Glamorgan Council
Champion Award – Recognises an outstanding individual. Winner: Julie Morgan, Healthcare Assistant, CAVUHB
Equality and Inclusion Award - Open to individuals or groups promoting equality. Winner: Georgina Assadi, Project and Service Improvement Manager, SBUHB
Student Award (NEW for 2025) - Recognises a pre-registration student. Winner: Nicolle Sayce, Student Midwife
Lifetime Achievement Award - Celebrates a long-term individual contribution. Winner: Clare Powell, VPDP Specialist nurse – immunisation/ training lead
The awards were held as part of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme (VPDP) Welsh Immunisation Conference at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Throughout the day, attendees were treated to a range of insightful talks from speakers, including Professor Helen Bedford from UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Professor Paul Heath from St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and a video address from Judith Paget, Director General of Health & Social services and Chief executive NHS Wales.
Topics covered included the exploration of attitudes towards chickenpox and the varicella vaccine, as well as a compelling talk by Georgia Chisnall from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, on the importance of vaccine accessibility.
Dr Chris Johnson, head of VPDP and deputy director of health protection, said: "We’ve made significant progress through our vaccination programmes which have helped eliminate or lessen the effects of various diseases and, most importantly, saved lives.
"This conference serves as a valuable reminder of the crucial role our professionals play. None of these accomplishments would be possible without the dedication of our healthcare workers."