A MOBILE Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Derrylin last week has been hailed as a huge success, with exceptionally high numbers of young people acting on the call to get their jab.

The evening clinic at St Ninnidh’s Parish Hall in the Fermanagh village saw 258 people receive their first vaccine jab, but perhaps most notable is the fact that more than a third of those in attendance were under 25 years old.

There were also a significant number of pregnant women who opted to take the opportunity to receive a first jab.

Organised by the Western Trust’s mobile vaccination team, the clinic is the latest in a series of mobile clinics organised across the Western Trust area that are now open to everyone over 16 years old on a first-come, first-served basis to receive the Pfizer jab.

Running from 4-8pm on Tuesday, August 17, the clinic saw those from Derrylin and neighbouring areas take advantage of the later hours to come along and receive their dose after work, in a place and at a time that was convenient for them.

Speaking about the success of the event, Western Trust Involvement Manager for Health Improvement, Performance and Service Improvement, Brónach McMonagle, said: “We are delighted with the turnout at our latest walk-in vaccination clinic in Derrylin.

"We had a considerable number of people queuing up before we had even opened our doors, which made for a busy but very positive evening.

“The great turnout shows us that there is still a large appetite within our community for the vaccine, and it is heartening to see so many people – in particular, younger people – stepping forward to be vaccinated.

“We have also seen an increasing number of people who had chosen not to get the vaccine up until now, but who have had a change of heart, and would encourage everyone to keep an eye on our news and social media channels for updates and to come along to their nearest clinic when the opportunity arises.”