Community pharmacists in Northern Ireland delivered 83 per cent of all Covid jabs given to care home residents in the spring booster campaign.

Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland announced today that during the spring campaign, which officially ends this week, almost 11,000 boosters were given to care home residents, over-75s and the severely immunosuppressed.

CPNI vice chair Marie Smith said: “As a community pharmacist, I’ve seen daily the benefit of providing the Covid-19 vaccine to those living locally in the community. Community pharmacy is the first choice for many in our neighbourhoods, including the elderly and those preferring not to travel, due to our convenience and the fact that patients know and trust us. 

“The flexibility of the sector also meant we were able to go out to care homes and administer the vaccine to some of our most vulnerable patients who simply couldn’t access a healthcare setting. It is a testament to the pharmacy network that over 83 per cent of care home patients were vaccinated by community pharmacists.”

Care home manager Bronagh Barker added: “The work of our local pharmacy in delivering the Spring Booster vaccine has been a weight lifted off everyone’s shoulders.

“Some of our patients are extremely vulnerable and the question of how and when they’ll be vaccinated has been a concern.

“To have our local pharmacists, who our staff and patients know and trust, come and deliver the vaccine put many of our patients at ease.”