Winter jab changes in NI spell 'chaos' for GPs

The Public Health Agency made the precautionary measure after a new Covid variant emerged

The bringing forward of this year's flu and Covid vaccination programmes in Northern Ireland will cause chaos, a GP representative has said.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) said it made the decision as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new Covid variant.

The programme has been brought forward to 18 September.

Dr Alan Stout said most GPs were informed about the decision by social media.

The vaccines are available to over 65s, frontline care workers and some others groups.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says there is limited information available about the new variant BA.2.86, but it has a high number of mutations and has appeared in several countries.

It is not classified as a variant of concern but health officials believe speeding up the vaccination programme will protect those at greatest risk of becoming severely ill.

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Dr Joanne McClean from the PHA said that there was no evidence that the new variant was more transmissible or would cause more severe illness.

Two cases of the new variant have been identified in the UK and Dr McClean said it was "inevitable" that it would eventually be detected in Northern Ireland.

She said the move was a precaution, adding "we would rather be safe than sorry".

"We always said that new variants emerged that looked a bit different that we would react to that and that's what we are doing", she said.

Dr McClean said there had been a rise in cases over the summer but this was much lower compared to previous waves and has since declined.

She said the PHA currently did not have plans to roll out a wider vaccination programme with the focus being on protecting the most vulnerable groups.

'Quite bizarre'

Dr Alan Stout, the chair of the British Medical Association's GP committee in Northern Ireland, said he first learned the decision may be made after discussions with colleagues about proposed changes to the programme in England.

Dr Alan Stout said the decision would cause chaos for GP surgeries which are already under pressure

However, Dr Stout said that after he raised the issue with the Department of Health, it said it was not aware of any potential changes.

"This isn't about the decision or the rationale," he explained. "It's about the communication. GPs as we all know deliver the vast majority of these vaccines every year," he said.

Dr Stout said GPs had in fact still not been "officially" told about the decision.

"We don't have the CMO (chief medical officer) letter which officially starts the programme, we haven't been told what vaccine we are going to use, we haven't got any information on supply of vaccine or delivery dates or quotas.

"We were working towards a start date of early October and a lot of practices have actually been ahead of the curve and will have booked their clinics."

Dr Stout said this move would cause "chaos" for GP practices, which are already under pressure, for a number of weeks with "phone lines going mad".