Covid-19 vaccine clinics open on Northern Ireland campuses - BBC News
Walk-in clinics will be available throughout September in a bid to get more more students vaccinated.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid-19 vaccination clinics are opening across education campuses in Northern Ireland

Walk-in clinics have been set up in universities and further education colleges in a bid to get more students vaccinated against Covid-19.

The first of 60 clinics will open on Monday as part of the Department of Health's "jabbathon" drive.

They will cover 30 campuses and offer first doses to students throughout September.

About 72% of 18 to 29-year-olds in Northern Ireland have had at least one Covid vaccine dose.

Nearly 88% of adults have received one dose and about 82% have been fully vaccinated.

The push for a higher vaccination rate among the younger adult cohort included a pop-up clinic over the weekend at one of of Belfast's best-known music venues.

A list of the walk-in clinics, run by health trust vaccinator teams, is available online.

Health Minister Robin Swann looks on as jabs take place

The new clinics are opening as mass vaccination centres begin to wind down.

The president of the National Union of Students and Union of Students in Ireland said having vaccine clinics on campus is "incredibly helpful".

Ellen Fearon told BBC News NI she hopes the clinics will give any students who have not yet been vaccinated the opportunity to do so.

"The message is to make getting vaccinated just a normal part of your freshers checklist this year," she said.

"This is one of the quickest way we have of seeing the social side of education returning and reducing the threat of further disruption."

The clinics will cover 30 campuses and offer first doses to students throughout September.

The head of Northern Ireland's vaccination programme Patricia Donnelly "very strongly encouraged" young people to use the clinics.

"Young healthy people are still getting ill and we shouldn't forget that," she told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster Programme.

"There are still high levels of the virus circulating - we encourage young people to take the vaccine for themselves, for the immediate future but also for the longer term future."

Health Minister Robin Swann thanked the staff who had worked "tirelessly" to administer nearly 2.5 million doses of the vaccine.

Seven mass vaccination centres operated by Northern Ireland's five health trusts have administered 1.5 million doses between them.

"We saw leisure and concert facilities converted to mass vaccination centres and there has been a monumental effort by health staff, students and volunteers who adapted at pace to deliver," the minister said.

"I commend each and every one for their involvement.

"Every vaccine given helps to protect that individual, those they come in contact with and will help ensure our health service can better cope with the forthcoming winter pressures."