Britons rose in the morning to get their booster jabs online. They wanted to be able to skip the long queues and avoid the hassle of going to the clinic.
Record numbers continue to try to get an appointment on the NHS website, with those visiting after 5.30am this morning put into a queue of unspecified length.
Many who were up from 2 am to 5 am reported they had successfully booked their vaccination. However, others said they spent too much time in the line and that it then suggested locations which aren’t feasible to reach.
As many people attempted to skip the long lines at walk-in vaccine centres that could take up to five hours, online users were welcomed with a message that said: ‘You are currently in a queue.
It seems that many people want to book appointments at this moment. We’ll soon tell you exactly where you stand in line and how long it will take to get there.
Some Britons were placed in a line with certain people, and asked to enter their NHS number.
Since Boris Johnson broadcast a television appeal for Omicron to prevent a ‘tidal tsunami’, over a million people either have their boosters or ordered one.
People who visited the NHS website today were put in a long queue.
Yesterday, people waited in line for Covid-19 boosters and vaccines at Leeds’ Elland Road Centre.
At St John’s Church, London yesterday, a man got a Covid-19 jab
On social media, users shared how they attempted to book their jabs by waking up at night. Others took advantage of their kids’ awakening to do so.
One person said, “Bonus: You don’t have to wake up every day at 3 am. The NHS website works well at this time for ordering lateral flow test and booking Covid boosters.”
One more: “Managed to log on to the website at 4.30 to reserve booster for my friend.” It’s a good thing to be awake at all hours.
Another said, “Wake up at 3AM to get a booster appointment.” Not a chance! It was not possible to take lateral flow tests. Really, what are you doing?
Boris Johnson’s commitment to all adult males a third jab before 2021 ends has led to a huge demand for the vaccine that rendered parts of the UK’s infrastructure unprepared.
Those aged 30 or over can book on the NHS website, while people aged 18 to 29 can use it from tomorrow – but all UK adults can now go to a walk-in centre.
Also, on the edge of the new testing system’s rollout, the government was forced to temporarily stop the home lateral flow kits being available online.
To prevent further spread of the virus, everyone who has tested positive for Covid must take an immediate test every day for at least a week.
With 749,000 available slots, the weekend witnessed record numbers of booster bookings via the NHS website. Another 110,000 slots had been booked yesterday morning.
On Sunday afternoon, problems with the website began. A second TV address by the Prime Minister caused a surge in traffic, and many people who tried to book were unable to do so.
Others were put in a line and told that technical difficulties prevented them from getting to the top. They were allowed back later.
Yesterday, No. 10, suggested that the service would have ‘further capability’ in the coming days to handle the increase demand.
There was a long line at St Thomas’s Hospital London, yesterday while people waited to get their boosters
There were long queues outside UK vaccination centres yesterday. A huge line formed at St Thomas Hospital, London. Some people reported waiting up to five hours.
After turning up at Whitehawk Inn community center, where boosters were being offered, there was a long line of hundreds waiting on Brighton’s residential roads.
A couple claimed that they were turned down from the vaccination center after making a round trip of 50 miles and taking off two hours work.
A booster has been given to 40% of the population, so there is still an estimated 17.2 million people who are eligible for another jab.
This would require more than 950,000 boosters per day to make it work, including Boxing Day and Christmas Day.