Northern Ireland COVID Vaccination Programme
In Northern Ireland the COVID Vaccine Programme officially commenced on 8th December 2020.
The main objective of the programme is to protect those at highest risk from serious illness or death. The programme has been offered incrementally over time to all of the Northern Ireland population over 5 years of age based on their risk of serious disease. The timeline below outlines when the vaccine was offered to different age groups and groups of the population.
The vaccine schedule offered is a primary course (either 2 doses or 3 doses depending on underlying medical conditions). Depending upon eligibility, further booster doses may be recommended at least 3 months after the primary course. Future booster doses may be recommended over time. Further information about the vaccines schedule and eligibility for further
boosters can be found on the PHA website on the following link: https://pha.site/covid19infomaterials
Timeline:
Month from when the Primary Course was offered to:
Month from when the Booster Dose(s) was offered to:
There are seven COVID vaccines currently licensed for use in the United Kingdom:
1) Pfizer Vaccine (Brand name: Cominraty)
– Adult dose (for 12 years and older) Original formulation
– Paediatric dose (for under 12 years) Original formulation
– Adult bivalent dose (for 12 years and older) Original/Omicron formulation
2) Moderna Vaccine (Brand name: Spikevax)
– Original formulation
– Bivalent Original/Omicron formulation
3) Astra Zeneca Vaccine (Brand name: Vaxzevria)
4) Novavax Vaccine (Brand name: Nuvaxovid)
Methodology
Data on the number of vaccines administered has been extracted from the Northern Ireland Vaccination Management System (VMS). The VMS is a regional electronic vaccine record where vaccines administered in any location are recorded.
The VMS dataset is linked with population data within a secure cloud-based system to enable calculation of the uptake of vaccine within the population. The population estimates are obtained from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). NISRA produce mid-year estimates of the population of Northern Ireland as of 30 June each year by age and sex. https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/population/mid-year-population-estimates
Since 4th August 2021, vaccine uptake/coverage data presented on this dashboard have been calculated using the 2020 population mid-year estimates, which is in line with the rest of the United Kingdom. Before this, uptake data was calculated with the 2019 population mid-year estimates.
Since 26th May 2022, any vaccination records within 19 days of an earlier vaccination record for the same recipient have been excluded from the vaccination numbers presented. This is in line with other UK administrations.
Dashboard
The dashboard is updated each day between midday and 1pm.
The dashboard is regularly updated and developed to ensure that the information presented provides the most accurate picture of vaccines given to the population. This means that vaccine uptake data may change overtime, either up or downwards. While any update / change will have an initial impact on vaccine uptake data, overall it is a positive change ensuring more accuracy and consistency in the data moving forwards. Updates made are documented below.
Over time, more data and visualizations will be added as the programme progresses
The details in the dashboard may not always fully reflect the most up to date information. This has become more relevant with the advent of mobile vaccination clinics. These are often in remote areas where electronic devices are not viable for use and as such the details are often captured manually and later transcribed into our electronic systems, leading to a lag in reporting
Updates
| 4th August 2021 | Uptake calculation updated to use NISRA 2020 population mid-year estimates |
| 5th November 2021 | Data on 12-15 year olds included. Overall vaccine uptake changed to show the number of people vaccinated in the population that are 12 years and over. This is in line with the United Kingdom gov.uk dashboard. |
| 6th January 2022 | Definition of the age when vaccinated was changed to the individual’s age on 31st August 2021 in line with other UK administrations. |
| 12th May 2022 | Definition of the age when vaccinated changed again to the individual’s age on the date the numbers were extracted from VMS. This reflects an agreement between UK administrations.
Updated to present data for the Spring 2022 Booster vaccine campaign. |
| 15 th November 2022 |
Uptake metrics replaced by coverage in line with other Devolved Administrations. Coverage is the proportion of the current population that has received a vaccination dose. The Primary Dose 3 or any Booster category encompasses people who have received one or more Dose 3 or Booster vaccinations, including the Spring 2022 and Autumn 2022 campaigns. |
The dashboard is split across 11 pages covering: