Vaccine booking slots for local health staff

As of this week staff vaccination clinics at Foyle Arena and at six other locations across the north are fully operational.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said: “All staff working in Health and Social Care will be able to get the vaccination in line with the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. However, as supplies of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine are limited at this stage, we need to prioritise who will get the vaccine in the next few weeks. Staff should wait to be called forward by their respective Trust.

“Trusts will be advising staff when and how they will receive the COVID-19 vaccine and I would urge all staff who are eligible at this stage to take up the offer as quickly as possible. The initial priority will be those staff working closely with patients who are considered to be most at risk.”

Staff in the priority groups will be able to book their vaccination slot via dedicated booking line. HSC Trusts will inform their staff who are in the early deployment groups and encourage them to book their vaccines through a digital booking platform.

All the clinics are operating up to and including Christmas Eve with further dates being added from December 27.

The full roll-out of the vaccine is scheduled to continue until the summer of 2021.

Subject to the availability of a suitable vaccine, it is intended from early January 2021 to expand roll-out of the programme through primary care led vaccination clinics.

The focus in the coming weeks will therefore include care home residents, supported living centres and staff; staff working with patient groups at higher risk; staff working in higher risk settings; staff who are themselves at increased personal risk due to being in extremely vulnerable high risk categories.

In advance of the GP element of the programme starting, consideration is being given to options for extending the programme to begin vaccinating over 80s in the community.