Covid-19: Focus shifts to pharmacies as vaccine roll-out tails off

By Niall Deeney
Published 24th Aug 2021, 16:12 BST
A piper played at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Sunday to mark the closure of the venue as a mass vaccination centreA piper played at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Sunday to mark the closure of the venue as a mass vaccination centre
A piper played at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Sunday to mark the closure of the venue as a mass vaccination centre
The roll-out of coronavirus vaccines through community pharmacies is expected to ramp up in the coming weeks as the regional mass centres close down.

Community pharmacies have already given out around 135,000 jabs since they were included in the roll-out in March – just over one in every 20 vaccines administered in Northern Ireland.

But with the overwhelming majority of the adult population now fully vaccinated, and mass vaccination centres such as the SSE Arena in Belfast now returning to their intended purpose, the vaccine roll-out will now continue through a combination of ‘pop-up’ mobile clinics and community pharmacies.

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The mass programme came to a halt at the weekend following a final push, dubbed the ‘Big Jab Weekend’, which involved an estimated 12,000 people taking up the last-minute offer of an appointment-free vaccine on Saturday and Sunday.

But Gerard Greene, chief executive of Community Pharmacy NI, has said pharmacies will now pick up the slack for those who remain unvaccinated.

“It was fantastic to see the success of the Big Jab Weekend with the high turnout seen across vaccine centres, mobile units and community pharmacies,” he said.

“As the mass vaccine centres now close, we are urging those who have yet to receive their vaccine to book an appointment with a community pharmacy and get the jab in a convenient, accessible location.

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“Getting vaccinated is the greatest protection from the virus and the best tool on offer to help Northern Ireland move out of restrictions and return to normal society.

“In the coming weeks, we will see a further uplift of pharmacies providing the Moderna vaccine, which will expand the options available for those who remain unvaccinated.”

He added: “We would also remind the public that community pharmacies remain open with support and guidance for any medical concern. The vaccination programme does not impact on other services and prescriptions are still being delivered in a safe, convenient and timely manner for all.

“Public health continues to be our top priority and the community pharmacy network remains committed to serving their communities. Please be patient with your local pharmacy teams as we work to ensure all patients are supported during this time.”

The latest figures from the Stormont health department show a total of 2,417,387 jabs have been administered.

Related topics:Covid-19Northern IrelandBelfast