Northern Ireland booster jabs: Lines with waits up to three hours as rollout extends to over-30s

Large queues formed outside some walk-in vaccination centres as Northern Ireland's booster vaccine roll-out was extended to over-30s.

Some people have been waiting more than two hours at the Ulster Hospital's vaccination hub, with other clinics reporting similar waits.

People queuing for jabs at hubs faced similar lengthy waits over the weekend.

Some people waited up to three hours to be vaccinated at a walk-in clinic at the Downshire Hospital in Downpatrick on Sunday.

A number ended up leaving before they could get the jab - hoping to be able to book an appointment online instead.

Pictures showed the lines snaking around corners and up roads as people waited for their shots.

The Health Department says the acceleration of the booster programme comes ahead of “the expected surge of Omicron variant cases in Northern Ireland in January”.

A total of 10 cases of the variant have been identified.

The department says it is taking “additional emergency measures to get as many booster doses as possible administered before the end of this month”.

It has urged people to be patient in the event of queues at vaccination centres.

• Analysis by UTV's Health Reporter Deborah McAleese:

There is always a surge for a few days after the vaccination campaign opens to a new age group. 

But this is the first time since the start of the vaccination programme that walk-in clinics have seen such large queues at their doors.

With the Department of Health ramping up the programme, amid concern over the Omicron variant, clinics are likely to remain busy for several weeks to come. 

Health officials are looking at how they can best rush through the booster programme.

They will likely have to recruit additional vaccinators and increase opening hours at vaccination centres to meet demand.

Health Trust vaccination hubs are now open for walk-in boosters for anyone aged 30 and over, who is at least three months from their second vaccine dose.

The department says options to further reduce the age range "are under active consideration".

It also said additional measures to increase the capacity to deliver booster doses are being finalised, and hundreds of additional vaccinators are in the process of being recruited.

Health Minister Robin Swann said the emergency measures are aimed at getting "as many booster doses as possible administered before the end of this month".

But he added: “It must be emphasised that we cannot rely solely on the booster programme to combat Omicron.

"We all have a vital role to play in not spreading the virus.

"We need to keep making safer choices in our daily lives and to regularly use lateral flow tests to help protect each other.