Slower coronavirus vaccine roll-out in Republic of Ireland could put Northern Ireland ‘at risk’, warns CMO Dr Michael McBride: ‘We want to see our friends and neighbours vaccinated as quickly as possible’

That was the warning from Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride, who said he wants “our friends and neighbours in the Republic of Ireland to have access to this vaccine as quickly as possible.”

The latest figures on vaccination rates in the Republic of Ireland show that, like most European countries, it is lagging well behind the UK in terms of what percentage of the population has been vaccinated.

Excluding micro-states such as the Seychelles, the UK has vaccinated more of its population than all but two countries on earth — Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite its smaller population, there have been more coronavirus vaccinations carried out in Northern Ireland than in the Republic of Ireland.

Dr McBride was asked by the News Letter this week what implilcations this could have on public health on this side of the border.

“It is certainly something that I have been giving consideration to,” he said.

“I want our friends and neighbours in the Republic of Ireland to have access to this vaccine as quickly as possible.

“Clearly, the sooner we can vaccinate people on these two islands the better for all of us.”

He continued: “That’s the best way to protect the population because as long as we continue to have transmission of the virus and replication of the virus on one part of these islands, we will continue to be at risk in all other parts of these islands.”

The Chief Medical Officer said supply issues were to blame for the slower pace in the Republic of Ireland, saying: “Obviously the Republic of Ireland, like other European countries, at this present moment in time are constrained by the production and the distribution of vaccine.”

The head of Northern Ireland’s vaccine roll-out, Patricia Donnelly, added: “None of us are safe until all of us are safe.”

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers – and consequently the revenue we receive – we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.