A PUBLIC health expert has called on Stormont leaders to "immediately" extend the Covid vaccination programme to all 12-15 year-olds - a move he described as a "no brainer".
Professor Gabriel Scally said a UK government advisory body's opinion on vaccinations has "no statutory basis" in Northern Ireland and urged the Department of Health to act to reduce rocketing infection rates in children as well as their risks of contracting Long Covid.
Latest figures show that children between the ages of 10 and 14 account for the highest percentage of individuals testing positive for the virus over the past week in the north.
Last Friday the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) refused to green-light vaccines for all healthy under-16s, saying the benefits were marginal.
Instead, it recommended jabs for 200,000 more children with chronic heart, kidney, lung and neurological conditions in that age group.
The UK's four chief medical officers have now been asked by the JCVI to have the final say, and consider the wider impact on schools and society.
But Professor Scally expressed concerns that the delay and "mixed messaging" would "destroy public confidence".
"It's a no-brainer. It's so blatantly obvious this will happen and the delay is just holding everything back," the Belfast-born doctor told The Irish News.
"It's putting children at risk and it's putting older people at risk from increased transmission as schools go back.
"The JCVI advice has no statutory basis in either Northern Ireland or Scotland... Stormont politicians should make up their own minds, listen to the rest of the world, and protect their young people's and their community's health.
"There is no reason why Northern Ireland should not proceed immediately to vaccinate."
The medic, who is a visiting Professor of public health at the University of Bristol, pointed to other countries including America, Israel, France and Italy which are offering the vaccine to all children in this age group.
He singled out the Republic, where there has been a surge in demand for jabs for 12-15-year-olds since the rollout began last month.
Irish health officials yesterday confirmed that more than half of the 9,500 people vaccinated at walk-in clinics over the weekend were in this young cohort.
It has also emerged that the Republic has witnessed a significant drop in infections among in the 16-24 year-old age groups, which is linked to high vaccine uptake.
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, almost 30 per cent of the under-30s have not been jabbed while infections, hospitalisations and death rates are among the highest in Europe.
"When you at look the differences in cases and deaths between Northern Ireland and the Republic over the past few weeks, it is remarkable," Prof Scally added.
The Irish News asked the Department of Health if it would sanction the roll-out of jabs to 12-15 year-olds given it does not have to legally comply with the JCVI advice and in light of increasing infections among children and teenagers.
A department spokeswoman said the "established policy position" across the UK has been to "follow JCVI guidance on the roll-out of the vaccination programme".
"On the question of vaccinating 12 to 15 year olds, JCVI proposed that the four CMOs consider the wider societal impacts of vaccination, including educational benefits," she added.
"That assessment is underway and will inform a final decision by ministers in the near future."
Nine coronavirus-related deaths were reported in Northern Ireland yesterday, with and additional 1,764 infections.
