Spring Covid booster jabs for over-75s in Northern Ireland within days
Spring booster jabs will be offered in the coming days to the over-75s and those aged 12-and-over with weakened immune systems, it has been announced.
The Public Health Agency (PHA) confirmed on Tuesday that the next phase of the rollout of coronavirus vaccination boosters will begin in April. It is advised that spring boosters are spaced out to around six months from the winter booster jabs.
Dr Jillian Johnston, joint Interim Assistant Director in Health Protection at the PHA, said: “Covid-19 is more serious in older people and those with a weakened immune system. Protection from the vaccine may be lower and may decline more quickly in these people.
“Although vaccines are expected to provide good protection against severe COVID-19 disease, protection against mild infection with the Omicron variant seems to decline quickly, even after a booster dose, so the additional spring booster will help address this.”
The PHA say the booster programme will begin in care homes from the start of April and community pharmacies will complete this element of the programme. GPs, meanwhile, will invite patients aged 75 years or older in for vaccination. The over-75 will also have the option of a community pharmacy or at a Trust-led clinic. Eligible housebound patients should get their jabs through district nursing teams, while immunosupressed patients should expect to hear from Trust clinicians.