Covid-19: Booster jabs offered to over 18s from Monday

People aged from 18 to 29 will be able to get their Covid booster vaccination from walk-in hubs at Northern Ireland health trusts from Monday.

Booster appointment bookings for this age group will be available from next Wednesday, 22 December, BBC News NI understands.

It is part of the Department of Health's plan to speed up vaccinations.

Meanwhile, Stormont ministers are due to get an update later on the Omicron variant spread in Northern Ireland.

They will be briefed at a meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive by the chief medical and scientific advisors.

On Wednesday, it was announced that the number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Northern Ireland had reached 151.

Thursday's meeting will also hear details of the plan to support the rapid roll-out of booster vaccinations.

Staffing cover for schools, which have been affected by a rise in Covid-19 cases, is also expected to be discussed.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy will also brief ministers on the latest government funding approved this week for the pandemic response.

However, Stormont's Department of Finance has said that most of the £75m allocated to Northern Ireland was not new money.

On Wednesday, the UK reported a record number of daily Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 78,610 new cases.

In Northern Ireland, four more coronavirus-related deaths were reported, with 2,156 new cases of Covid-19.

The announcement that 151 Omicron cases have been detected in Northern Ireland was made by the Public Health Agency (PHA), which described the figure as a "significant increase".

The PHA attributed the increase both to "rising community spread" and a change in how cases were classified.

A new definition came into effect across the UK on Wednesday, which meant cases that were previously recorded as "highly probable" Omicron cases were now automatically recorded as confirmed cases.

The definition has been applied retrospectively to 1 December.

Dr Brid Farrell, PHA deputy director of public health, said the identification of more Omicron cases was not unexpected.

"But it does act as a timely reminder that each of us needs to do what we can to slow its further spread and help protect ourselves and those around us," she said.

Chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said he was "more concerned at this stage than he has been at any stage in the pandemic".

In a press briefing, Sir Michael asked the public to get vaccinated and to get their booster if they were eligible.

There was also a warning that re-introducing restrictions might be necessary to cope with rising figures.

Sir Michael said that it was "reasonable given the current growth that significant measures might be required".

Chief scientific officer Prof Ian Young said he was confident "that we will respond rapidly and the public should be reassured there are contingency plans which can be activated very quickly by the executive".

Boosters are now being made available at walk-in centres for those aged 30 and above, whose last dose was administered at least three months ago.

The list of health trust vaccination clinics is available on trust websites at these links.

More details of vaccinating pharmacies are available here:

On Wednesday, the UK reported a record number of daily Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 78,610 new cases.

In Northern Ireland, four more Covid-related deaths were reported, with 2,156 new cases.

Northern Ireland is about two weeks behind what is happening in Scotland and England.

Health officials said that they were monitoring the picture elsewhere to learn and prepare for what lies ahead locally.

While case numbers are rising, what is still not known is how these cases are reflected in hospital admissions.

A series of vaccine clinics opened across Northern Ireland in November to help meet demand for booster doses.

It was announced on Sunday that boosters would be available at walk-in centres for those aged 30 and above, whose last dose was administered at least three months ago.

Vaccination centres and pop-up clinics across Northern Ireland have now been experiencing large queues of people waiting for their booster jabs.

Stewards at the Foyle Arena in Londonderry, which reopened as a vaccination centre on Wednesday, said they were extremely busy earlier in the day.

The arena had previously been used to supply first and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, but is now being used for the booster programme.

By late afternoon on Wednesday, 760 boosters had been administered.

Health trusts across Northern Ireland have appealed for people to wrap up warm, be patient and book ahead if possible.