BORIS Johnson has tonight vowed all adults will receive a Covid booster jab THIS MONTH in a “national mission” as the UK battles the Omicron variant.
Addressing the nation in a pre-recorded speech, the PM urged Brits to get their life-saving vaccines as he warned the country is “facing an emergency” in the fight against Omicron as a “tidal wave” of cases is coming.
In a major announcement, Mr Johnson revealed the launch of the Omicron Emergency Boost – giving everyone over the age of 18 the chance to get a third jab by the end of the year, bringing the target forward by a MONTH.
The PM warned that two doses of the jab are “simply not enough” to give the “level of protecting we all need” as he implored people to get their boosters.
And he insisted that all the science shows getting a booster now CAN see protection shoot up again – stressing: “vaccination is the key to beating Covid, and it works.”
Data shows boosters offer up to 75 per cent protection from mild infection from Omicron, with Trending In The News relaunching our hugely successful Jabs Army campaign.
The PM told the nation: “Today we are launching the Omicron Emergency Boost – a national mission unlike anything we have done before in the vaccination programme – to Get Boosted Now.
“A fortnight ago I said we would offer every eligible adult a booster by the end of January.
“Today, in light of this Omicron Emergency, I am bringing that target forward by a whole month.
“Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year.”
Read our Omicron live blog for the latest updates
The huge booster drive will mean NHS chiefs are forced to scrap some routine appointments to get all hands to the deck to get 19million jabs in arms before the end of the year.
But the PM warned that if the jab rollout isn’t ramped up now, it could mean a wave of Omicron infections “so big” that cancellations and disruptions such as the loss of cancer appointments “would be even greater next year”.
It comes after the PM addressed the nation on Wednesday to unveil Plan B – making mask-wearing compulsory in some indoor settings and introducing vaccine passports.
From tomorrow, people are urged to work from home if possible too – but some fear-mongering scientists have said that more action needs to be taken before Christmas.
To ramp up the fight against Omicron, Mr Johnson has now revealed that from tomorrow in England, the booster scheme will be opened up to every adult over 18 who has had a second dose of the vaccine at least three months ago.
The NHS Booking System will be open to everyone from Wednesday, but in some places adults can walk in from tomorrow.
“We will also assist this emergency operation by deploying 42 military planning teams across every region, standing up additional vaccine sites and mobile units extending opening hours so clinics are open seven days a week, with more appointments early in the morning, in the evening, and at weekends, and training thousands more volunteer vaccinators,” the PM added.
“And we’ll set out further steps in the days ahead.”
A huge wave of the new variant would risk the NHS being totally overwhelmed which would “lead sadly to very many deaths”, he warned.
“We must act now.”
Mr Johnson said it will “require an extraordinary effort” to get everyone jabbed as quick as possible.
He added: “To hit the pace we need, we’ll need to match the NHS’s best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day.
“And as we focus on boosters and make this new target achievable, it will mean some other appointments will need to be postponed until the New Year.
But striking a positive tone despite the gloomy data, the PM insisted that “we are a great country” and the vaccine was still our best chance of getting life back to normal.
He vowed: “We have the vaccines to protect our people.
“Let’s Get Boosted Now – for yourself, for your friends and your family.
“To protect jobs and livelihoods across this country.
“To protect our NHS, our freedoms and our way of life.”
Pharmacies, hospitals and walk-in centres dished out a whopping 530,086 booster jabs on Saturday, with 23 million in total so far.
But only 40 per cent of the population have had one so far, leaving the PM with a huge task to extend the rollout as fast as possible.
LEVEL UP
It comes after the UK’s Covid alert level was today risen to four as Omicron cases continue to spike, the PM will address the nation on the spread of the variant and give an update on the jab rollout.
The alert was hiked to the second highest level, meaning transmission of the virus is “high” and pressure on the NHS is “widespread and substantial or rising”.
The UK’s Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director recommended the alert level was raised as Omicron poses “a rapidly increasing risk to the public and healthcare services”.
A move to level five would mean there was a “material risk” of healthcare services being overwhelmed.
The heightened alert comes after it was today revealed Brits are in hospital suffering with the Omicron mutation.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed there are now patients on wards who have tested positive for the strain – and said we face a race to get all adults the booster.
It’s not known if those in hospital are seriously ill or in ICU, and no one is yet known to have died as a result of contracting the variant.
Today, Omicron cases rose by 65 per cent in 24 hours as Brits were urged to get their life-saving Covid booster jabs.
An additional 1,239 cases of Omicron have been recorded today, bringing the total number of confirmed variant cases to 3,137.
The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) said cases of the mutation have increased in the last day as fears continue to grow over Omicron.
Yesterday, 633 new cases of the variant were recorded – which means mutation cases are on the rise with today’s 1,239 infections.
On Saturday there were a further 54,073 Covid-19 infections reported, bringing the total to 10,771,444.
There were 132 more deaths, bringing the total number of Covid-19 fatalities to 146,387.
However, the health agency provided the first UK-based batch of evidence on vaccine efficacy against the strain – showing that three shots were far more protective than two.
And boosters will be the key to protecting your loved ones this festive season – as Trending In The News’s Jabs Army campaign calls for Brits to get their third vaccine.
DON’T WANT TO C IT
With the growing number of cases, MPs have allegedly been warned to be “on standby” to vote on new restrictions during Christmas week.
Plan C may be enacted before Christmas as MPs have been told to prepare for a Parliament recall on December 21 if the Covid situation spirals, it’s been reported.
Meanwhile, Sajid Javid has been told to trigger Plan C restrictions within a WEEK by gloomy health officials, it’s been reported.
The Health Secretary was allegedly told by doom-mongers at the UK Health and Security Agency that Omicron risks overwhelming the NHS as 5,000 Brits could be admitted to hospital a day.
However – a third jab can combat Omicron and save us from more lockdown pain, says a morale-boosting study.
Any two doses plus a Pfizer booster give up to 75 per cent protection, experts say.
Three shots also defend better against severe disease or death — but two doses will soon fail to prevent even a third of cases.
Mr Javid said: “This data shows how important boosters are.”
Mary Ramsay, jabs chief at the UKHSA, said: “These early estimates show that, a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching Omicron compared to Delta.
“But the data suggests this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine.
“We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of Covid-19.”
