ROCKETING numbers of coronavirus cases among young people in Northern Ireland have sparked calls for under-18s to become vaccinated.
A total of 375 positive Covid-19 infections were confirmed yesterday by the Department of Health, double the previous week's figures and the largest daily tally since February.
While no deaths were reported and the number of hospital admissions remain low, there are mounting concerns about the spike in infection rates among young people - with 700 new cases in the past week alone, 10 times more than the over-60s during the same period.
There are two patients in ICU. Their ages are not reported by the department.
The development comes after The Irish News revealed yesterday that two Belfast school formals attended by Campbell College and Strathearn School pupils in the Culloden Hotel have been linked to the latest surge.
Between 150 and 200 pupils attended the end-of-year events last week along with 'pre and post' parties.
Public health expert Professor Gabriel Scally said government needed to act "rapidly" and approve vaccinations for teenagers to curb the spread of the more infectious Delta variant.
The jabs are currently only given to those over the age of 18.
"What needs to be done is that they need to make a rapid decision about vaccinating young people. Across the UK, 21 per cent of the population is 17 and under. Because the variants are getting more and more transmissible, it just becomes extraordinary more difficult to control them," Professor Scally said.
"In America, they've had millions and millions of young people vaccinated from the age of 12 up. We already vaccinate younger children in the UK for diseases, such as Rubella, that are not going to do them any harm.
"This vaccine is new but never have we had a vaccine that's been given to so many people - so there's been a fantastic opportunity to get data on them. So we've got better data on the vaccines than many previous ones just because of the sheer numbers immunised."
Dr Gerry Waldron, head of protection at the Public Health Agency also pointed to the inevitability of the extension of the vaccination programme.
However, he said that any changes must be sanctioned by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert body which advises UK health authorities.
"Vaccinating the young population is probably something that will happen. But we can't go outside the JCVI recommendations," Dr Waldron said.
"Last month the medicines regulator approved the use of Pfizer in 12-15 year-olds. But JCVI has a more guarded approach."
Dr Waldron told The Irish News there was "no doubt" the case numbers linked to "recent social events" involving young people will rise in coming weeks, adding: "What we are talking about here is the Delta variant...in an unvaccinated group".
