UK to offer booster vaccine to all adults before the end of the year

The United Kingdom will offer everyone over the age of 18 the possibility of receiving a booster dose of the covid vaccine before the end of the year, to curb the “tide” of infections that are expected by the expansion of the ómicron variant. In a televised message to the nation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that his country is facing an “emergency” due to the rapid transmission of omicron, which forces to advance by a month the goal of vaccinating all adults with the booster, previously set for the end of January. Johnson also warned that this massive mobilization of the State, in which the Army will also participate, will force the cancellation of consultations and medical examinations until next year, but justified it in the face of the threat posed by the ómicron to the “freedoms” of citizens. No one should have any doubt that a tide of omicron is coming and I’m afraid it’s clear that two doses of the vaccine are simply not enough to give us the level of protection we need,” he said Johnson.La booster dose can be injected into all those who have already received the second dose at least three months ago. The United Kingdom had previously raised the alert level for covid to 4 today – out of a total of five after registering today a record of cases of the new variant, 1,239, which brings the total to 3,137.Scientists calculate that the number of infections by the omicron doubles every two to three days at present. Johnson recalled in his statement that experts still do not know if the disease that causes the new variant is more serious than the previous ones, but there is consensus that it is much more contagious. British hospitals have already begun to receive patients infected with omicron and it is feared that, even if the variant produces less severe effects, the national health system (NHS) will be overwhelmed by a flood of admissions. In the operation to vaccinate all adults, 42 military teams will be deployed to enable additional vaccination sites and mobile units to allow the pace not to slow down outside of working hours or on weekends. Thousands more volunteers will also be trained to participate in the campaign. Johnson announced on Wednesday the entry into force of new restrictions such as the generalization of the use of masks in closed public places, the requirement of covid certificates to enter nightclubs or shows and the recommendation to telework whenever possible.

Original source in Spanish