More than 100,000 booster jabs given by Newry, Mourne and Down's health trusts

EMBARGOED TO 0001 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 24 File photo dated 20/11/21 of a vial of Covid-19 vaccine, as The UK is pledging £160 million to a major scientific project working on speeding up vaccine development for deadly diseases.

Nearly a million people have received a booster jab in Northern Ireland in the fight against coronavirus – with more than 100,000 administered by the two health trusts serving Newry, Mourne and Down.

Northern Ireland Department of Health data shows 976,662 people had been boosted by Tuesday (March 23).

It includes 557,480 boosters given by GPs across the country, plus 112,551 by Southern Health and Social Care Trust and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, which both serve Newry, Mourne and Down.

It means 67% of adults in Northern Ireland have received a booster dose, using the latest Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency population estimates.

The figures also show 1,329,117 people in Northern Ireland had received at least two vaccines by Tuesday, 1,517 more than the week before.

Southern Health and Social Care Trust and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust have administered a total of 410,663 second jabs.

In addition, pharmacies have given out 88,686 second doses and 149,112 booster jabs nationally.

It means 83% of those eligible for the jab in Northern Ireland have now had at least two doses of the vaccine.

The latest data also shows 33,123 first jabs have been given to teenagers aged 16 and 17 (73% of that age group) as well as 22,312 second jabs (49%).

And 55% of youngsters aged between 12 and 15 have had their first jab, while 14% have had a second.

Figures for each age group show:

18 to 29 – 206,933 fully vaccinated (75% of that population) and 97,481 booster jabs given (35%)30 to 39 – 202,538 fully vaccinated (81%) and 119,714 booster jabs given (48%)40 to 49 – 213,849 fully vaccinated (89%) and 155,836 booster jabs given (65%)50 to 59 – 242,641 fully vaccinated (94%) and 206,119 booster jabs given (80%)60 to 69 – 198,663 fully vaccinated (99.5%) and 180,831 booster jabs given (91%)70 to 79 – 145,933 fully vaccinated (99.5%) and 137,304 booster jabs given (94%)80 and over – 81,836 fully vaccinated (99%) and 73,813 booster jabs given (89%)

The figures show that 1.4 million people have had a first jab.