A LEADING doctor has said there is a "significant under-estimate" of the number of Covid boosters delivered in Northern Ireland due to administration issues.
Dr Alan Stout was reacting to concern about the rollout, which showed the north is lagging well behind England, Wales and Scotland with just 28 per cent of the population receiving their third dose.
The GP insisted "a lot more vaccines have been given than have actually been recorded".
"That’s just simply because practices are giving them in these mass vaccination clinics, where there is up to 1,000 people at a time – and then they’ve got to bring all the documentation back to their practice and record it on the computer system," Dr Stout, who chairs the British Medical Association GP committee, said.
"That’s just taking a little bit longer because of pressures. In my own practice we’ve got a couple of people off at the moment and about 50 per cent haven't been recorded. So the headline figures are a very significant under-estimate for us."
Dr Stout said he expected a "big jump" in uptake over coming weeks, as there must be a six month gap between receiving the second and third doses. Around 900,000 are eligible for the booster.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Robin Swann also pledged the programme will be escalated.
"I was assured that 210,000 doses have already been ordered by GP practices, for use as booster doses within a three week window.
"In addition, a long list of participating pharmacies will be providing booster jabs to those aged 50 or over.
"We are therefore offering a choice for the 50 plus age group - get invited in by your GP for your booster or arrange it yourself through a community pharmacy."
