Covid-19: Some NI children over 12 to be offered vaccine

Some children and young people aged over 12 in Northern Ireland are to be offered a Covid vaccine.

Officials say those with specific underlying health conditions and who are at risk of serious illness from the virus can now receive the Pfizer/BioNtech jab.

Teenagers within three months of their 18th birthday can also get a jab.

At present health officials are not recommending routine universal vaccination of under 18s.

The list of eligibility currently includes those with severe neuro-disabilities, Down's Syndrome, underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression, and those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities or who are on the learning disability register.

Health Minister Robin Swann said the vaccination programme had always been "guided by the expert advice".

"The decision by the medicines regulator to approve the Pfizer vaccine for use in this younger age group has only been taken after rigorous assessment of both safety and effectiveness," he said.

Mr Swann said the announcement by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) underlined the important role of the vaccines.

The JCVI advises government ministers on which people should be offered a vaccine.

Additionally, vaccines will be offered to young people over 12 who live with someone who is immunosuppressed.

This is aimed at providing increased protection for the more vulnerable members of the household.

Parent or guardian consent will be required ahead of vaccination.

Northern Ireland chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said the JCVI had carefully examined the risk of Covid-19 to children and young people against the potential benefits of vaccination.

"While the evidence strongly indicates that almost all children and young people are at very low risk from Covid-19, a small number of children and young people with underlying chronic conditions are at increased risk and will benefit from the protection offered by vaccination."

Sir Michael said the JCVI will keep this advice under review.

The Department of Health is continuing to operate a number of walk-in Covid-19 vaccine clinics across Northern Ireland this week.

The appointment-free pop-ups were established as part of a "final push" to get younger people vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has said the Northern Ireland version of the Covid-19 vaccine certificate app should be ready to go from Monday 26 July.

Currently travellers are using an interim system to prove that they have had both jabs.

Anyone travelling from Northern Ireland between 20 and 25 July can access a downloadable certificate and QR code.

Dr Eddie O'Neill, from the department, said certificates are "designed specially for the EU specification".

He said the certificate and QR code should be readily usable within the EU.

Dr O'Neill said once people download the app, they'll be invited to register an account, prove their identity and then be able to request a certificate.

"There's an automated matching process and then on their app they will be able to get the QR code," he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

He said that it works in a similar way to the NHS app in England.

Last week, more than two million people in the Republic of Ireland got their certificates, which contain QR codes, by email and post.

But most Irish passport holders in Northern Ireland will not be able to access the certificate because they were vaccinated outside of the Republic of Ireland.

Another 1,776 positive cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland were reported on Monday - that figure is more than triple the number reported on Sunday which was 537.

There has been one further coronavirus-related death.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she has been "quite disturbed by some of the imagery " she has witnessed in the last 24 hours after Covid restrictions were lifted in England.

The move means there are no limits on how many people can meet and it means nightclubs can open for the first time since March 2020.

Ms O'Neill said the Northern Ireland Executive would always "set its own path and would continue to do so".

East Antrim Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sammy Wilson criticised Mr Swann, saying he should not try to "blackmail ministers into just listening to the Covid obsessed advice that seems to be prevalent in policy making at present".

Mr Swann`s party colleague Alan Chambers supported the health minister, saying exercising caution was the correct approach.

Meanwhile, anyone travelling to Northern Ireland from France must continue to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival.

From Monday, anyone arriving from a country on the so-called amber list do not have to quarantine if fully UK vaccinated.

However, the Department of Health said this will not apply to arrivals from France due to "the persistent presence of cases ... of the Beta variant".