FIRST doses of the Covid vaccine will end at mass vaccination centres in the North of Ireland on Saturday, July 31, health minister has said.
Robin Swann said the vaccination programme will not be available indefinitely.
He said there was a “new surge in Covid cases” and now was the right time to get vaccinated.
As of Monday afternoon, 2,168,431 Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in the North of Ireland.
Of those, 1,185,869 were first doses and 982,562 were second doses.
The Department of Health is continuing to operate a number of walk-in Covid-19 vaccine clinics across the North of Ireland this week.
The appointment-free pop-ups were established as part of a “final push” to get younger people vaccinated.
“The right time to get your vaccine is right now,” Mr Swann said.
“A new surge in Covid cases is under way and getting your jab will protect you and others. It will also help our health service cope, by pushing down infection numbers and hospital admissions.”
He said that aspects of the programme will have to be stood down in the coming weeks.
“We will maintain some provision for people who belatedly change their minds and decide they want a jab after all. But it won’t be as convenient or as widely accessible as it is currently.
“We will have to start standing down the mass vaccination centres in August, with first doses there ending on 31 July.
“This will allow us to redeploy much-needed staff back into the health service. Also, the SSE Arena and the leisure centres (Foyle Arena in Derry) that we’ve been using can’t be commandeered for vaccination use forever.”
Mr Swann said that GPs’ role in the vaccination programme had shifted from first and second doses to preparing for the vaccine booster dose.
Health Minister Robin Swann
On Monday, it was confirmed that some children and young people aged over 12 in the North of Ireland are to be offered a Covid vaccine.
Officials say those with specific underlying health conditions and who are at risk of serious illness from the virus can now receive the Pfizer/BioNtech jab.
Teenagers within three months of their 18th birthday can also get a jab.
At present health officials are not recommending routine universal vaccination of under-18s.
The list of eligibility currently includes those with severe neuro-disabilities, Down’s Syndrome, underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression, and those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities or who are on the learning disability register.
Another 1,776 positive cases of Covid-19 here were reported on Monday – that figure is more than triple the number reported on Sunday which was 537.
There has been one further coronavirus-related death.
In England, face coverings are no longer required by law and nightclubs have been allowed to reopen.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson said the North of Ireland “should quickly be moving to that situation”.
“We’re not seeing the increase in deaths that was hanging over us when the discussions took the place – we’re seeing impact vaccines has had in dealing with cases,” he said.
He said he did not think teenagers should be given the vaccine.
“When you look that risk that children have from Covid, it’s very low,” he added.
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