Coronavirus: Belfast vaccination centre 'extremely busy'

The Belfast Health Trust warned on Tuesday that people visiting its Covid-19 vaccination centre should expect long waiting times due to high demand.

The trust said the Royal Victoria Hospital was "extremely busy" and urged people to wrap up warm.

Queues have been forming at a number of vaccination centres and pop-up clinics across Northern Ireland.

It follows the announcement those aged 30 and above could receive their booster jab at walk-in facilities.

It comes amid fears of a sharp increase in cases from the new Omicron variant.

A series of vaccine clinics opened across Northern Ireland in November to help meet demand for booster doses.

Health Minister Robin Swann has said medical students and Army doctors may be drafted in to deliver booster jabs.

The UK government announced on Tuesday that additional funding would be made available to the devolved governments to "progress their vaccine rollout and wider health response".

It said the amount would be set in the coming days.

Separately, the 15 minute waiting period after someone has received the vaccination has been suspended, in a move agreed by the four UK chief medical officers.

The CMOs have said that they recognise this will lead to "a marginal increase in risk for a very small number of people, but substantially fewer than would be harmed by a slower vaccine rollout".

'Up to your knees'

Mr Swann has been defending the decision by the executive to introduce vaccine passports in Northern Ireland.

He spoke after a debate in Stormont, where assembly members voted by 59 to 24 to approve the certification.

The passport allows people to enter licensed premises and entertainment venues.

Police will be visiting licensed premises to make sure staff and customers comply with Covid-19 passport rules

The scheme had already become legally enforceable on Monday.

Assembly members had been due to vote on the issue on Monday after almost five hours of debate, but it was postponed by the assembly speaker.

The Democratic Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Voice, who had already expressed opposition to the plans, were the only parties to votes against them.

Closing the debate, Mr Swann said: "The first minister talks about the storm that is coming.

"You're better preparing for a storm when it's not raining, rather than being up to your knees in water."

No vaccine shortage

It was announced on Sunday that boosters would be available at walk-in centres for those aged 30 and above, whose last dose was administered at least three months ago.

With vaccine centres experiencing a surge, the Department of Health has said there is no shortage of jabs.

According to official figures, 924 vaccinations were delivered at Lagan Valley hospital on Monday.

The pop-up clinic at Short Strand community centre in east Belfast had people waiting outside before it opened

The department said there had to be a cut-off point when some centres close, although opening hours have been "extended very quickly" following the expansion of the booster programme.

The Short Strand community centre in east Belfast had people waiting outside before it opened.

Mairead O'Donnell, co-ordinator of the partnership which runs the centre, said the site would be running multiple one day pop-up clinics.

"The clinic itself started at ten o'clock and the queues were already around the car park twice and down the street," she said.

"It's good to see so many people taking it seriously and turning up today."

'En masse'

Gerard Rooney, who offers a walk-in vaccination service at his pharmacy on the Ligoniel Road in north Belfast, said he had been very busy on Tuesday and that he expected the rush to continue until up to Christmas.

He said he had given boosters to a number of people in the 30+ age group, as well as those aged 40-60.

Mr Rooney also gave a number of first vaccines, which he described as a "good sign".

"It shows that people are listening, that they need to get the vaccine."

• Q&A: How do I get a Covid-19 passport in NI?

• Why do boosters work if two doses struggle?

• Analysis: Covid booster uptake rises but infection rate high

In Londonderry, the vaccination centre at Templemore sports complex, which was providing booster jabs on Tuesday, has now closed.

A Western Trust spokesperson has said they have now begun the process of moving equipment to the Foyle Arena.

The arena, located on the Limavady Road, will be open on Wednesday morning to help accommodate the number of people coming forward for a booster jab.

Certain age groups can book a vaccine appointment

Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle, Derry GP Simon O'Hagan said the reopening of the arena, which had been used as a mass vaccination centre for first and second vaccines, made logistical sense.

"The bigger the space we have the better as far as delivering vaccines en masse," he said.

The public are being asked not to ring hospital switchboards directly with vaccine queries, as all information can be accessed on health trust websites.

Discussing the removal of the 15 minute waiting period after vaccines are administered, Dr Frances O'Hagan from the British Medical Association's GP committee said it would make a "massive difference" for GP's administering the vaccine.

"In general practice we have much smaller areas to keep people in, we're not using the big sports halls that the trusts have access to," she told the BBC's Evening Extra programme.

"If we're trying to do it in-practice, we can get the people in one door, get them vaccinated, and out the other door, as opposed to taking up space in our waiting area and trying to socially distance people.

This article was amended on 15 December 2021 to clarify the Assembly's reasoning behind introducing vaccine passports.

The list of health trust vaccination clinics is available on trust websites at these links.

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

• Northern Health and Social Care Trust

• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

• Southern Health and Social Care Trust

• Western Health and Social Care Trust

More details of vaccinating pharmacies are available here:

• Community pharmacy booster COVID-19 vaccination service