Covid boosters available to over-18s ‘from Monday’ in Northern Ireland

Coronavirus booster vaccine doses will be open to all over-18s in Northern Ireland after the weekend, it has been reported.
By Niall Deeney
Published 16th Dec 2021, 10:09 BST
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th December 2021 General view of the COVID-19 vaccination centre at the Ulster Hospital, n east Belfast, which seen a large uptake in people getting the booster jab which has been made available to people in Northern Ireland over 30. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEyePress Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th December 2021 General view of the COVID-19 vaccination centre at the Ulster Hospital, n east Belfast, which seen a large uptake in people getting the booster jab which has been made available to people in Northern Ireland over 30. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 13th December 2021 General view of the COVID-19 vaccination centre at the Ulster Hospital, n east Belfast, which seen a large uptake in people getting the booster jab which has been made available to people in Northern Ireland over 30. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Currently, boosters are available to those aged 30-and-over through walk-in clinics, via online booking and from community pharmacies.

But the 18-plus age group will be added to the roll-out from Monday, with online booking being made available from Wednesday, the BBC has reported.

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The broadcaster also reports that Stormont ministers are due to get an update later on the Omicron variant spread in Northern Ireland later today.

The ministers will be briefed at a meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive by the chief medical and scientific advisors, Professor Sir Michael McBride and Professor Ian Young.

This comes after the chief medical officer, Sir Michael, has said he is “more concerned than at any previous point in the pandemic”, amid warnings over the rapid spread of omicron Covid variant.

He urged all adults in Northern Ireland to get a booster vaccine as he and Professor Young said during a briefing with members of the press that omicron is likely to become the dominant strain in Northern Ireland before the new year.

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Professor Young said that omicron is expected to peak in mid-January and daily case numbers are likely to be higher than at any other time during the pandemic.

It comes as the number of confirmed cases of omicron in Northern Ireland has reached 151, according to the Public Health Agency.

Related topics:Northern IrelandProfessorOmicronNorthern Ireland Executive