LONDON (Reuters) -Britain faces a “tidal wave” of the Omicron variant of coronavirus and two vaccine doses will not be enough to comprise it, Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned on Sunday, as he accelerated the booster rollout programme.
Speaking hours after authorities scientists lifted the COVID alert stage to 4 on a 5-point scale, Johnson mentioned the booster programme should go sooner as a result of scientists did not but know if Omicron was much less extreme than different variants.
“A tidal wave of Omicron is coming,” Johnson mentioned in televised assertion on Sunday night. “And I’m afraid it’s now clear that two doses of vaccine are merely not enough to provide the extent of safety all of us want.”
He added that scientists knew Omicron was way more transmissible and {that a} wave of the variant by way of a inhabitants that was not boosted would end in so many hospitalisations the National Health Service would wrestle to manage.
“Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England may have the possibility to get their booster earlier than the New Year,” he mentioned.
(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Kate Holton)
