Four more Covid-19 deaths recorded in Northern Ireland as additional booster announced
Four people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, according to the Department of Health – three of them in the last 24-hour reporting period.
One of the deaths occurred outside the latest reporting period, but had not previously been reported.
It brings the total coronavirus-related death toll for the region to 3,184.
According to the latest figures, there are currently 443 people with Covid-19 in hospitals across Northern Ireland.
Twelve of them are being treated in intensive care units.
It comes as an additional booster vaccination for those aged 75 and over, and anyone over the age of 12 who is immunosuppressed, has been announced.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he'd accepted advice from the government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation which said a new booster would “maintain their protection against severe Covid-19”.
The advice has been accepted by all four devolved nations, meaning the rollout from spring will be UK wide.
Speaking after the announcement, the head of Northern Ireland’s vaccination programme Patricia Donnelly said: “Covid-19 has now been with us for two years and we know that it has disproportionately affected a number of groups including older adults, residents in care homes, and those with certain underlying health conditions.
“We can also see from the evidence that the booster programme introduced in September 2021 has provided high levels of protection against severe disease.
“The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency has indicated that while protection against mild infection appears to wane, protection against severe illness and hospitalisation is well maintained in older adults, underlining the importance of the booster, particularly for vulnerable groups.”