Slower vaccine roll-out in Republic of Ireland could put Northern Ireland 'at risk', warns health chief

Dear reader,

There is little argument that Northern Ireland has made a very positive start to its Covid-19 vaccination programme.

The Province has reaped the benefits of the UK’s world-leading vaccination effort, with the over-65s group the latest to start getting the jab that will protect them from this dangerous virus.

However, Northern Ireland’s chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, has warned that the relatively slow nature of vaccination progress south of the border in the Republic will put people here at risk.

One of the main worries about Covid-19 continues to be variants of the disease, and principally the South African strain. A viral expert has admitted that it is inevitable that the South African variant will arrive in Northern Ireland.

However encouragingly, Dr Ultan Power, professor of molecular virology at Queen’s University, said he is confident that existing vaccines will still protect people against the different strains.

Meanwhile, another 11 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in Northern Ireland.

In addition, the Department of Health has revealed that another 504 people here have tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, rising to 3,404 in the last seven days.

Alistair Bushe,

Editor

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