Low vaccine uptake in Omagh and carrickmore

PARTS of Omagh and the surrounding area are below 70 per-cent in their Covid-19 vaccine uptake, figures released by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) have revealed.

The wards in question are Strule and Lisanelly in Omagh town and Owenkillew in the wider Carrickmore area.

The Strule and Owenkillew wards have an uptake slightly less than 70 per-cent at 69.36 and 69.94 per-cent respectively, but the Lisanelly area is lower at 64.45 per-cent.

The Strule ward currently has 1,400 people registered with a GP. Of these, 971 have been vaccinated.

In Lisanelly, 930 people have been vaccinated out of a total of 1,443, while in Owenkillew 1,508 people have been vaccinated out of 2,156.

For those who are still unvaccinated, the Mass Vaccination Centre at Omagh Leisure Complex will reopen its doors on Wednesday, December 15, for both booked and walk-in appointments, until December 21.

The vaccine uptake percentage across the North is currently just below 70 per-cent, which makes it the region with the lowest vaccination rate across all of the UK.

Meanwhile, there is also a limited number of slots to attend the clinics at Beragh Red Knights’ Community Hub on Monday, December 6, and at the Ecclesville Centre in Fintona on Tuesday, December 7, are now available to book online.

These will be booked clinics only, with no walk-ins accepted on the evening.