The First Minister has defended the vaccination priorities the Welsh Government is following - and explained why he won't move teachers up the list unless the advice changes.
He made the comments in an interview with WalesOnline on the same day he announced plans for reopening schools, starting with the Foundation Phase year groups for children aged 3 to 7, from February 22.
Teachers have expressed concerns about returning to the classroom with the new, more easily spread variant now believed to be the most prominent strain in Wales.
School staff are not afforded any priority in the list set out by the UK-wide Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, whose advice is being followed by all four UK nations, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on them to be given the jab as matter of priority.
When asked about where he stood on the issue Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford said he did not agree with his UK counterpart and would continue to rely on the list provided by the JCVI - an independent expert advisory body which includes experts from top universities, hospitals and public health institutes.
Mr Drakeford told WalesOnline: "We would like as many people as possible to be vaccinated but it has to be a sense of priority.
"What they say they have done is focus on those groups if you offer vaccines you will save lives.
"To save a single life you have to vaccinate 40 people in a single care home.
"To save a single life you have to vaccinate 150 aged over 80.
"To save a single life you have to vaccinate 62,000 teachers aged under 30.
"And that is why the advice focuses on getting those people vaccinated first to save the most amount of lives."
The First Minister said the figures he was quoting were "broad" but did underpin the rationale.
He did however indicate that the JCVI is reviewing their rules and this could change.
He said: "The JCVI has definitely said that it will continue to review the priority groups
"There are nine groups at the moment we are on track to get the first four vaccinated or with an offer of vaccination by the middle of February.
"As that moves on, there may be new vaccines coming on stream which will allow the JCVI to revisit that advice.
"If its advice changes and it says we should move some professional groups up the priority list then we will follow that advice."
