East Antrim GPs told to expect new delivery of Covid-19 vaccines

The Health and Social Care Board has confirmed practices in Carrickfergus, Greenisland and Whitehead, which missed out this week, will be included in the new delivery.

The board was responding after East Antrim DUP MLA David Hilditch raised the matter with the Department of Health on behalf of surgeries which stated they would be temporarily unable to provide vaccine clinics.

In a statement, the HSCB said: “The vaccination programme in Northern Ireland continues to roll out at pace with over 596,860 doses administered as of 3 March. This includes 280,762 doses administered by GPs who are working hard to vaccinate their patients.

“In Northern Ireland deliveries of vaccine have been arriving every week however amounts vary each week. There is no fixed pattern of allocation for individual GP practices. Subsequently, whilst some GP practices have received the same amount of vaccines every week or every other week, some GP practices will not.

“Vaccine allocations are formally agreed by the Department of Health (DoH) with support and advice from the Health and Social Care Board. It is expected that supplies of the vaccine will increase significantly this month allowing the programme to accelerate further.

“The expected delivery for next week will allow allocations to all practices who did not receive an allocation this week including Scotch Quarter Practice (Carrickfergus), Meadowbridge Surgery (Whitehead) and Old School Surgery Greenisland.”

All three practices said they had been informed they were receiving no vaccines this week. After being contacted by one surgery, Mr Hilditch spoke to a number of others across Carrickfergus, Larne, Greenisland and Newtownabbey and “the vast majority have been told the same”. Click here

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