Vaccine Must Be Made Available For All NI Teenagers - Alliance

All teenagers in NI should be offered the Covid-19 vaccine, Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has said.

Following the announcement that the vaccine is being made available for 16 and 17-year-olds, Ms Bradshaw said that "preparations must be rapidly advanced for offering vaccines to all teenagers in Northern Ireland".

She said: "The Irish Government has long been vaccinating from age 16 upwards and will soon move to age 12, there is now little doubt the rest of the UK is heading in that direction too.

"This means preparations must be made to offer vaccines easily and reliably to everyone aged 12 and upwards in Northern Ireland. The very reason the JCVI has recommended reducing the age now is to limit school distribution, but since schools return earlier in Northern Ireland that only means we have to move faster.

"It is essential we improve vaccine uptake among all younger age groups as swiftly as possible, as vaccination is the way out of constant restrictions and disruption."