Healthcare workers who live in the Republic of Ireland but work in Northern Ireland will be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine when it's rolled out over the border next week.
The news, confirmed today by the Stormont Health Minister, will come as a huge relief to the hundreds who travel to work in Northern Irish healthcare facilities every day.
Robin Swann said all healthcare workers can avail of the vaccine – which could start its roll-out in Northern Ireland as early as next Wednesday – "if they meet the priority groups and they're currently employed within our healthcare service."
He added: "We will support our healthcare workers as they come forward and meet the need of accessibility of this vaccine."
Mr Swann's comments came after he delivered news of an accelerated roadmap for the delivery of the vaccine, with next week now the anticipated landing date.
Previously, it was expected that the vaccine – of which Northern Ireland will get 25,000 doses – would be rolled out on December 14.
The Health Minister said: "We would hope to have a supply of vaccine next week, which could actually see that date come forward by a few days.
"We'll be working through the exact logistics of the dispatch of the vaccine from Belgium across to the UK and how we get that distributed through your system," he told BBC Radio Ulster.
South of the border, it now looks likely that we'll have a Covid-19 vaccine by January.
And the Taoiseach tonight confirmed that the vaccine will be free for all, telling a private Fianna Fail party meeting that there will be "no cost for the vaccines."
Mr Martin's comments came on the heels of a partial promise from Stephen Donnelly, with the Health Minister hinting that they would be free but stopping short of confirming the move.
Tonight, one TD at the meeting told the Irish Mirror: "Micheál confirmed it will be free. It would not be too smart if he told us we had to go back to our constituencies telling people they’d have to pay for it."
