Covid-19 spring booster vaccination to be offered to higher risk groups in Northern Ireland

A spring Covid-19 booster will be offered to higher risk groups in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health says.

Those aged 75 and over, residents in care homes, and anyone over the age of five who is immunosuppressed, are among those eligible for the vaccination.

The move is in line with advice issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride said the latest booster roll-out is due to start in mid-April and will run until the end of June.

It will cover a population of almost 190,000 individuals.

“The programme will include those who turn 75 years old by 30 June who will be eligible for a vaccination at any point during the spring campaign," said the chief medical officer.

"Those who are admitted to an older adult care home or become immunosuppressed by 30 June will be considered eligible as well."

Nearly 4.5m coronavirus vaccines have been administered since the programme was first rolled out in December 2020.

As with earlier stages, the spring booster programme will see all care homes paired with a community pharmacy who will attend the home and offer vaccination to all residents.

The department says GPs will be asked to invite their eligible patients aged 75 plus and those who are immunocompromised to attend for vaccination.

In addition to being invited by their own GP, those aged 75 plus or immunocompromised individuals will also have the option to receive the vaccine via a participating community pharmacy.

The department says health trusts will play a much reduced role in the spring programme, mainly vaccinating eligible housebound patients from lists supplied by GPs.

Trusts will also vaccinate those immunocompromised individuals aged 5 to under 18 years of age, identified by their GP.

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