Covid-19: UK vaccine shortage impact on NI being examined

Health officials are examining what affect a reduced UK coronavirus vaccine supply might have in Northern Ireland.

Health Minister Robin Swann said NI's vaccine rollout is ahead of schedule and would be able to adapt.

However, the head of Northern Ireland's vaccination programme, said an operation at Belfast's SSE Arena had to be "scaled down due to the delay".

Patricia Donnelly also told Stormont's Health Committee on Thursday that anyone expecting a second dose or who had already booked their first would have their appointments honoured.

She said: "We've tried to keep a very balanced approach to this, we've also been cautious about how we've approached the use of the vaccine and anticipated that where there were difficulties, we would very closely match the vaccine supply to the booking platform.

"So we would only open up slots when we were able to have the vaccine to support them."

"The vaccination programme will continue in the coming weeks and more people will continue to receive first and second doses," the Department of Health said in a statement.

"As has been the case since the programme began, the number of vaccinations carried out over time will vary due to supply.

"However, the vaccination programme in Northern Ireland is presently ahead of schedule and, as ever, we will be able to adapt to any changes in circumstances as they arise."

Dr Alan Stout, the chair of the British Medical Association's GP committee in Northern Ireland, said news of the UK vaccine shortage was "frustrating but perhaps not surprising".

"The pace of vaccination has depended on the supply from the outset," he tweeted.

He told The Nolan show: "The positive in all of this is that we've done so well, so far, that the vast majority of those people who are at risk have now had their first dose.

"If it does mean that the consequences of delaying a first dose to someone we know who is at less risk, then that's going to have to be a decision that's made to protect those second doses."

Justice Minister Naomi Long told Good Morning Ulster: "I think all of us have been hugely impressed, and rightly so, at how quickly the health minister and his department have been able to roll the vaccine programme out.

"Our latest information from the executive was that would we be continuing to roll this out. I think we have to balance what Matt Hancock's concerns are against the fact that AstraZeneca and Pfizer are saying they can meet the supply.

"We have rolled it out faster than was anticipated so that's always going to be challenging but I think that we're still well on course to meet the target that was set - that we would have the majority of people vaccinated by June/July this year," she added.

Omagh GP Dr Josephine Deehan told the same programme that the supply warning was "hugely disappointing" for people in the under-50 age group.

She said one of the factors that has contributed to the supply issue is the huge rate of uptake of the vaccine.

"Yesterday was St Patrick's Day and we've not had any indication of how our supplies are going to be impacted," she added.

"I think the tone of the statement from the Department of Health was perhaps rather positive and we are quite ahead of our schedule in terms of rollout of this vaccine."

Meanwhile, more than 300 pharmacies have already signed up to be part of the vaccination scheme.

Official launch of the rollout will begin on 30 March, but it is expected some pharmacies will start before then.

"I am delighted to confirm yet another positive development in our drive to protect the people of Northern Ireland from Covid-19," the health minister said.

Mr Swann added: "Their contribution to getting as many people vaccinated as possible will be invaluable".

The chief executive of Community Pharmacy NI, Gerard Greene, said. "The accessibility and reach of the community pharmacy network, with pharmacists as skilled vaccinators, means they are well equipped to take part in the vaccine programme."

Mr Greene called their inclusion in the programme "a fantastic and welcome step forward" and said that this will not affect other pharmacy services.

On the reduced vaccine supply, he told BBC Radio Ulster that "we in community pharmacy are well used to having to deal with supply issues, albeit that there may be a drop in the vaccine supply in the next number of weeks, I don't think its going to undermine the programme at all".