GIRDWOOD Community Hub is to host a pop-up vaccine clinic next Thursday (August 5) from 9am-5pm.

The ‘Grab a Jab’ clinic has been set up in partnership between the Public Health Agency and Belfast City Council.

North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín said she was “delighted” at the news and urged people to “protect yourself, your family and your community.”

The pop-up centre is the latest of many across the North in an attempt to get as many people vaccinated as possible, with positive cases and hospital admissions on the rise.

This week, it was revealed that over one million people in the North are now fully vaccinated having received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The milestone means that around 70 per cent of the adult population here now having received both doses. 

Welcoming the achievement, just eight months after the very first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the North, Health Minister Robin Swann said: “Northern Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme has been an outstanding success to date and has helped us take significant strides towards the more normal life that we all want to see return.

“Rolling out the vaccination programme has required a huge amount of hard work and dedication so to all involved please accept my sincere gratitude. I appreciate the long hours you have worked to ensure that we could give the people of Northern Ireland protection from this virus. 

“For all those who have already come forward for vaccination, thank you. You have helped play your part in getting us to where we are. You have helped to protect yourself, those around you and our health service.

 “We have all seen cases rise over recent weeks and we are now also beginning to see hospitalisations increase too – albeit at a lower rate, thanks to the effectiveness of our vaccination programme. If we can make a concerted effort to increase vaccine uptake in the next week or so, this can help make a decisive difference, in terms of preventing serious illness and hospitalisations. 

“Our regional vaccination centres are closing for first doses so please if you’re not vaccinated, make it your priority to get a first dose as soon as you can."

The SSE Arena also remains opens to walk-in appointments until Saturday (July 31) for both first and second vaccine doses.

If you have already had your first dose, you must wait at least six weeks for Pfizer and eight weeks for Astra Zeneca.

You can also book a vaccine slot online. 

If you are over 40 years old you can also book at your community pharmacy.