By PA news
Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann said more than 4,000 people in Northern Ireland have received the coronavirus vaccine to date.
He said health trusts plan to start delivering the jab to health workers this week, starting with those at greatest risk or working directly with patients at greatest risk.
“Ultimately all health and social care workers will have the opportunity to be vaccinated which is expected to be within the first quarter of 2021,” he said.
He said officials are considering how arrangements might be extended to those over the age of 80 living in the community,
From early January, the jab will be rolled out to eligible individuals over the age of 50, before working through eligible cohorts starting with the oldest.
Mr Swann said 50,000 vaccines have been received, which will vaccinate over 20,000 individuals.
He said applications have been received from 870 individuals to help roll out the vaccination programme across Northern Ireland.
Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann has declined to speculate ahead of a call between Michael Gove and the leaders of the devolved administrations over coronavirus restrictions at Christmas.
However he said he intends to bring a paper to the Executive on Thursday with a number of recommendations.
“That discussion is being taken by the three devolved nations and chaired by Michael Gove this afternoon,” he told MLAs during Health Minister questions.
“As the member well knows that I never comment before a decision or discussion is had so we’ll wait to see the outcome of that meeting and what it recommends.”
DUP MLA Gary Middleton pressed Mr Swann on his view around additional restrictions over Christmas.
Mr Swann said the spread of Covid and infections rate are stable but still slightly increasing, while the number of hospital inpatients has not decreased at all over the last number of weeks.
He said despite the recent two-week circuit-breaker, those numbers are “still too high”.
“So I don’t think the member will be surprised to know that I will be bringing a paper to the Executive on Thursday with a number of recommendations,” he said.
“But as I said earlier, he’ll also know me well enough that I’ll make those recommendations to the Executive so the discussion can be had there.”
Giving an update on the roll-out of the vaccination programme, Robin Swann said the vaccination teams have been to up to 54 care homes across all five trust areas.
“We have started with those with the largest number of residents and that will be in the region of just shy of 4,000 individuals which includes care home residents, care home workers and also our vaccination teams themselves,” he told MLAs.
“While the vaccine does provide a crucial tool in allowing visiting to take place, we have to make sure we not only get that first vaccine in place but follow up with the second vaccine and would encourage that as many residents and staff members take up the offer that is there of a free vaccine delivered through the NHS.”
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