Coronavirus vaccine: First doses of Pfizer jab arrive in NI

The first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have arrived in Northern Ireland.

Nearly 25,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Belfast on Friday morning.

It is hoped it will be the first of several vaccine deliveries this month.

Health Minister Robin Swann said confirmation of which groups will get the Covid-19 vaccine first is expected next week.

The BBC understands there will be dummy runs at various locations, and the first administration of the vaccine could happen early next week.

Mr Swann said there was "a long journey ahead of us, but we can be optimistic.

"Vaccinators will be the first to receive the vaccine, followed swiftly by priority groups.

"We are being guided on prioritisation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. It has identified care home residents and staff and health and social care workers as priority groups."

Distribution of the vaccine would be "a massive logistical challenge", particularly in terms of rolling it out in care homes, added the health minister.

Six further coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in Northern Ireland, bringing the Department of Health's recorded total to 1,032.

A further 449 people have tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.

On Friday, Northern Ireland's hospitals were at 84% capacity, with 402 inpatients with Covid-19, and 35 are in ICU according to the Department of Health.

There have been 54,177 positive cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the pandemic started.

Today marks another milestone.

News that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is actually here in Northern Ireland is another massive box ticked.

This is really good news but it doesn't just magic the virus away. Some people might see the vaccine as an excuse to forget about the restrictions.

Given the current restrictions, authorities anticipate that numbers will decline ever so slightly slightly or remain stable until shortly before Christmas.

But with more of us out and about and mixing they are sure to rise again.

The rate of increase will depend on how much the R rate increases following the 11 December when shutters on some retail outlets go up.

It's understood that if the R-number can be maintained at 1.6 or below then intervention would not be required until the end of December or beginning January.

However, if R were to rise as high as 1.8 then intervention would be required, possibly at end of December.

All of this depends on our behaviour and how closely we practice the Covid guidelines.

To vaccinate care home residents, 12,000 doses of the vaccine are required.

The problem facing those responsible for rolling out the vaccination scheme is how to deliver it to care homes safely and effectively.

It is thought the seven vaccination centres that have been earmarked, including leisure centres and hospitals, will be used as satellite centres in order to rollout the vaccine to those care homes which are located nearby.

The vaccine must be stored at around -70C and will be transported in special boxes, packed in dry ice. Once delivered, it can be kept for up to five days in a fridge.

On Wednesday UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe for rollout.

It is thought Northern Ireland will receive about 1.5m doses in total.

The UK is the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use.

Earlier in the week, Patricia Donnelly, who is heading up the vaccine rollout programme in Northern Ireland, said the fact the Pfizer vaccine had to be stored at a very low temperature and came in large packs meant it was more practical to bring those receiving it to larger centres.

News of the vaccine's approval by regulators on Wednesday was welcomed by Mr Swann as a "hugely significant day" in the fight against coronavirus.