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  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  4. Health advice
Live life COVID-aware

Get a COVID-19 vaccination in Northern Ireland

First, second and booster COVID-19 vaccine doses are available at Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust vaccination hubs and participating community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

Who can get a COVID-19 vaccination

Anyone aged five years and over who is a resident of Northern Ireland (NI) is eligible to be vaccinated as part of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

You generally have to be registered with a GP in Northern Ireland.

If you live in NI but are not registered with a GP in NI, or are temporarily a resident in NI, you will need to bring evidence of your address to your vaccination appointment. 

If you have any issues with this, email the Department of Health at the address below for advise:

  • covid-19vaccinationprogramme@health-ni.gov.uk

Who is eligible for first, second and booster vaccinations

Everyone aged five and over can get a first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

People aged 16 and over and some children aged 12 to 15, can also get a first booster dose.

People aged five and over who had a severely weakened immune system when they had their first two doses, will be offered a third primary dose before any booster doses.

COVID-19 Spring booster vaccination

You will have been offered a second booster as part of the Spring booster programme if you:

  • are aged 75 and over
  • live in a care home for older people
  • aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system

If you were born on or before 30 June 1947, you can book your vaccination at a participating community pharmacy or Trust-led vaccination clinic.

Find out where to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 Autumn booster vaccination

There will be a 2022 COVID-19 autumn booster programme. Details of where those who are eligible can get vaccinated will be announced soon.

Get a COVID-19 booster vaccination

The video below is a message from Prof Sir Michael McBride, Northern Ireland Chief Medical Officer about the COVID-19 booster vaccination:

Children aged five to 11 years of age

JCVI recommends that children aged five to 11 years of age should be offered two 10 micrograms doses of the Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine.

The 10 micrograms dose is a third of the strength of an adult dose.

Those in a clinical risk group, or children who live with someone who is immunosuppressed, must wait eight weeks between the first and second doses. 

All children aged five to 11 years of age, not in a risk group or a household contact of an immunosuppressed person, must wait 12 weeks between the first and second doses.  

Advice for parents is available at the link below:

  • COVID-19 vaccination - a guide for parents of children aged five to 11

Young people aged 12 to 17 years

All 12 to 17 year olds are eligible to receive two doses of the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine. In most cases, this should be 12 weeks apart, or 12 weeks post infection.

All 16 and 17 year olds and children aged 12 to 15 years of age who are in a clinical risk group or who live with an immunosuppressed person can also receive a booster dose three months after their second dose. 

All those aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system, are also eligible for a spring booster.

Further information is available at:

  • COVID-19 vaccination - a guide for children and young people and translations
  • What to expect after your COVID-19 vaccination - advice for children and young people and translations

People aged 18 years and over

If you are aged 18 and over, the required interval between first and second doses is eight weeks, while for the first booster dose it is three months after the second dose.

Three COVID-19 vaccines are are available to this age group in Northern Ireland:

  • Comirnaty (Pfizer)
  • Spikevax (Moderna)
  • Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca).

However, following updated advice from JCVI, it is preferable that people aged under 40 years of age receive an alternative to the Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) vaccine for their primary vaccination.

People aged 75 and over, people who live in care homes for older people, and people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system, will also have been offered a spring (second) booster.

Those who are severely immunosuppressed

JCVI advises that a third primary dose should be offered to a small number of individuals aged five years and over with severe immunosuppression. 

These individuals have been identified by their Trust clinician or GP and invited to receive a third primary dose.

This third primary dose should then be followed with a booster dose (fourth dose), for those aged 12 years and over, from three months after the third primary dose is administered. 

In line with JCVI advice, a spring booster (fifth dose) should be offered to immunosuppressed aged 12 years and over, three months after they receive their first booster (fourth dose).

  • COVID-19 vaccine - for people with a weakened immune system

Pregnant or believe to be pregnant

Women who are pregnant are encouraged to have the first, second or booster jabs as soon as possible to help better protect themselves and their baby from any serious consequences from COVID-19.

Expectant mothers aged under 18 should receive primary vaccination in line with other groups at high risk, which is two doses at an eight-week interval.

If you test positive for COVID-19 you should wait four weeks after the infection before getting a vaccination.

Further advice is available at:

  • Pregnant? Have your COVID-19 vaccinations (English and translations)

For advice about getting the COVID-19 vaccination, you can speak to your obstetric provider or midwife.

Pregnant women can receive their vaccination at their local community pharmacy or Health and Social Care Trust.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has produced detailed questions and answers on COVID-19 vaccines, pregnancy and breastfeeding at this link:

  • COVID-19 vaccines, pregnancy and breastfeeding

There is absolutely no evidence that any of the vaccines can affect the fertility of women or men.

More information is available on the British Fertility Society website.

Where to get vaccinated

First, second and booster doses are being offered to everyone aged five and over at HSC Trust vaccination clinics.

If you are aged 18 and over, you can also get vaccinated at participating community pharmacies.

If you're housebound, you should contact your GP and they will liaise with a Trust to arrange a visit from a district nurse.

You can find out which HSC Trust clinics and  community pharmacies are offering vaccinations near you by putting in your post code at the following links:

  • Pharmacy Covid booster vaccinations
  • Find a vaccination clinic

As the spring booster programme is largely complete, some community pharmacies and GP practices will no longer have vaccine clinics running until the autumn programme begins.

If your chosen community pharmacy is unable to offer vaccination, there may be other pharmacies Trust vaccination clinics in your area offering vaccination.

Further information on these locations is available on the Trust websites.

  • Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
  • Northern Health and Social Care Trust
  • South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
  • Southern Health and Social Care Trust
  • Western Health and Social Care Trust

Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca)

If you need a Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) COVID-19 vaccine,  find out which pharmacies are offering this at:

  • COVID-19 Astra Zeneca vaccination pharmacies

RNIB helpline

If you are blind or partially sighted and need help in accessing the details of your local participating pharmacy, you can contact RNIB, Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm and Saturday from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm.

This is not a booking line and the operator cannot help organise any vaccination appointments.

  • phone: 0303 123 9999
  • email: helpline@rnib.org.uk

Calls cost no more than a standard rate call, or count towards any inclusive minutes, to an 01 or 02 number. The price of calls varies between different providers, so check with your provider if you are unsure.

Follow the public health advice after being vaccinated

Two primary doses of the current approved vaccines, as well as booster doses, have shown a high level of protection against serious illness from COVID-19, but no vaccine gives 100 per cent protection.  

Research is ongoing to see what impact the COVID-19 vaccines have on reducing the spread of the disease and to examine the extent to which vaccinated people can still pass the infection on to others.

Therefore, after vaccination, you should follow the public health advice and are asked to:

  • practise social distancing
  • wear a face covering
  • wash your hands carefully and often

Further information about the vaccine

The Public Health Agency has developed a range of leaflets and a frequently asked questions section:

  • COVID-19 vaccination programme

Vaccine safety

The vaccines have met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). More information is available at:

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccine safety

Proof of vaccination

If you need proof of vaccination, information is available at:

  • COVID certificates

For the latest travel advice go to:

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): travel advice

 

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Health advice

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine research registry
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): information on health services
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): symptoms
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): testing and isolation advice
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccine safety
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19):  guidance for people at higher risk from COVID-19
  • Get a COVID-19 vaccination in Northern Ireland
  • Treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19)

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