A further Covid-19 booster vaccine is to be offered to all those aged 75 and over in Northern Ireland.
The additional jab will also be offered to anyone over the age of 12 who is immunosuppressed.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that those at a higher risk of infection receive an additional booster this spring.
Patricia Donnelly, head of Northern Ireland’s vaccination programme, said the autumn booster gave “high level of protection against severe disease”.
“Covid-19 has now been with us for two years, and we know that it has disproportionately affected a number of groups including; older adults, residents in care homes and those with certain underlying health conditions,” she said.
“We can also see from the evidence that the booster programme introduced in September 2021 has provided high levels of protection against severe disease.
“The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency has indicated that while protection against mild infection appears to wane, protection against severe illness and hospitalisation is well maintained in older adults, underlining the importance of the booster, particularly for vulnerable groups.
“The latest advice from the JCVI will help us transition to the next phase of our programme and enable us to put operational plans in place for 2022 and onwards so that we can continue to offer the vaccination and the protection it provides to those most at risk from the virus at the most appropriate time.”
The deaths of four more people who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 and another 2,235 cases of the virus were confirmed in Northern Ireland on Monday.
On Monday morning, there were 443 Covid-19 patients in hospital, 12 of whom were in intensive care.
