No appointment needed: Important info on where and when you can get Covid jabs (booster, first, or second)

Pretty much everyone can now get a Covid jab without an appointment, as the authorities rush to shore up public immunity against the omicron variant.
Massive queues for Covid booster shots at the RVH in Belfast; queue time roughly two hours!Massive queues for Covid booster shots at the RVH in Belfast; queue time roughly two hours!
Massive queues for Covid booster shots at the RVH in Belfast; queue time roughly two hours!

Here are some of the key details and links about where you can get jabbed.

Although the public is being asked to bear in mind that there may be long waits before they can get their injections.

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For instance members of the public turning up without an appointment for Covid-19 booster vaccines at the Royal Victoria Hospital were confronted by a huge queue yesterday.

One individual said that they were told it would be a two-hour wait in the line to receive their dose.

Added to the foot queues was a line of traffic waiting to get into the hospital; the entire car park was full, so waiting cars could only enter after one had left.

It came after the Health Minister Robin Swann said on Sunday that “with immediate effect, health trust vaccination hubs will be open for walk-in boosters for anyone aged 30 and over who is at least three months from their second vaccine dose”.

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Then last night he said: “What is being asked of it now in terms of booster delivery is beyond anything asked of our health service in its entire history.

“That reflects the emergency situation we are facing with the expected surge in Covid-19 cases in January as a result of the omicron variant.”

He urged “patience in the event of any queues” – and condemned what he said were instances of “abusive behaviour towards staff”.

Now that the public can get first, second, and booster jabs without appointment, the following are locations of vaccination centres:

~ Belfast Trust:

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RVH, from 8am-8.30pm every day, except December 16 and 17 when it will be 8am- 10.30pm.

Knockbracken Hall, from Wednesday, December 15, from 9am-6pm.

~ Northern Trust:

Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena, is open to walk-ins between the hours of 3-5pm (note, it will be closed on December 24, 25, and 26).

For more infornation go to this link: shorturl.at/wBFZ6

~ Western Trust:

A varying timetable of walk-in slots at three centres – Foyle Arena, Omagh Leisure Complex, and Lakeland Forum – is available here: shorturl.at/bqDK3

~ South-Eastern trust:

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Three venues – Ulster Hospital Acute Services Block, Lisburn Primary and Community Care Centre, and Downshire Hospital’s Great Hall – have varying walk-in times.

For details, see here: shorturl.at/coCO4

~ Southern Trust:

Varying walk-in times for The Civic Centre, Craigavon, Newry Leisure Centre, The Junction in Dungannon and St Luke’s Hospital, Armagh: shorturl.at/dfitQ

~ A list of pharmacies providing booster jabs is available at this link: shorturl.at/ackwN

More from this reporter:

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