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Northern Ireland’s Covid vaccination program aims to cover all nursing homes in the coming weeks, says Health Minister Robin Swann.
Residents and staff took the hit at an East Belfast nursing home on Tuesday morning, it was announced today.
The details emerged when the Health Department released more information on how they intend to implement the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
A mobile team from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust vaccinated residents and staff at the Palmerston nursing home in Sydenham today.
Palmerston provides care for older people living with dementia. A total of 25 residents and 35 employees received the vaccination.
More ‘vaccination rollouts’ in nursing homes are planned for tomorrow, the Department says, “and the intention is to cover all households in Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.”
The Minister added: “This is a massive exercise and I am pleased that we have already begun to fulfill our commitment to prioritize nursing homes in the first phase of the program, in accordance with the advice of JCVI.
“This has been an emotional day as we begin to allow ourselves to look forward to a better future in 2021.
“It is critical that we continue to do everything we can to stop the spread of the virus, while we begin the process of vaccinating those who are considered to be most at risk of contracting coronavirus.”
Also today, the Department of Health laid out its plans for what it called the “early rollout” of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine in Northern Ireland.
They said: “The initial phase of the implementation of the vaccination program started today. The program represents an unprecedented logistics exercise that will take many months to complete.
“Progress will depend on available supply across the UK and is dependent on production and delivery schedules. The timeline for approval of new vaccines will be an important factor in the broader implementation of the program.
“The process of determining clinical priorities is being closely guided by advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI).”
The Department said early deployment to Northern Ireland has ‘three central objectives’:
- Protect vulnerable patients and residents at increased risk of serious illness and mortality;
- To protect personnel working in areas of high risk of exposure;
- Protect staff members at increased personal risk of morbidity and mortality;
- The exact timing of all plans will be subject to vaccine availability.
The Department added: “Therefore, the focus in the coming weeks will include residents and staff of nursing homes (including assisted living facilities where the clinical risk is considered similar to that of a nursing home); health and social care staff working with higher risk patient groups (including integrated support staff); staff working in higher risk environments; Personnel at increased personal risk due to being in extremely vulnerable high-risk categories or having other defined clinical risk factors.
“Before the GP element of the program begins, options are being actively considered to extend the program to begin vaccinating those 80 and older in the community.
“A departmental letter has been sent to Trusts outlining the early implementation framework for the vaccine.”
Seven Trust Vaccination Centers are being established for the staff vaccination process with locations in:
- Belfast Trust – Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast;
- South Eastern Trust – Ulster Hospital, Dundonald;
- Southern Trust – South Lake Leisure Center, Craigavon;
- Northern Trust – Seven Towers Leisure Center, Ballymena;
- Western Trust – Foyle Arena, Derry; Omagh Leisure Center, Omagh and Lakeside Leisure Center, Enniskillen.
Mobile vaccination teams operating from the Trust centers will bring the vaccine to residents and staff of nursing homes in Northern Ireland, the department says.
The Department added: “HSC Trusts will inform their staff that they are in early implementation groups and encourage them to reserve their vaccines through a digital reservation platform.”
They added that anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant in the next three months, is not recommended to get vaccinated.
The full launch of the vaccine is scheduled to continue through summer 2021, the department added. They said that “more population groups will be added to the program in a phased manner, prioritizing age and other factors of clinical vulnerability.”
The Department statement added: “Subject to the availability of a suitable vaccine, it is planned that in early January 2021 the implementation of the program will be expanded through vaccination clinics run by primary care.”
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