Britons in their forties who tried to book a booster jab for the first time today joked it was a case of ‘computer says no’ as the NHS site was plagued with technical difficulties. 

Ministers cut the waiting time for the third and fourth jabs by six months. The goal was to prevent the Omicron wave from reaching the area. 

Some people who attempted to book were told that they weren’t eligible for a jab even though they had their second Covid vaccinations over three months. Others said that the 119 telephone system wasn’t updated in light of the new rule.

Chris Ashford, Professor of Law and Society, was among those who refused to go through the booking system. He described the situation as “#computersaysno” despite being asked. 

Helen Pidd claimed that her NHS booking system informed her husband she was not eligible for the jab, despite him having his second jab in July.  

Official Government data shows that booking system issues are becoming a problem a day following the announcement of problems with the booking system. This comes after No10 promised to speed up the campaign despite the fact that it had not accelerated. 

Britain has pinned its hopes of fending off the mutant Omicron variant on the rollout and Boris Johnson has promised to offer all 53million eligible adults in Britain a jab by the end of January — even though it would take until March at the current rate.  

Some over 40s have said the NHS booking system for the Covid boosters is telling them they are not currently able to get a jab

Over 40s claim that the NHS Booking System for Covid boosters has told them they cannot get a jab at the moment.

Professor of law and society Chris Ashford said it was a case of 'computer says no' when it came to attempting to book his Covid booster

Chris Ashford, Professor of Law and Society said that the computer didn’t say no to his request to book Covid booster.

In a message to health secretary Sajid Javid Helen Pidd said her husband was unable to book a Covid booster, despite having got his second jab five months ago

Helen Pidd wrote to Sajid Javid, the health secretary. She stated that her husband could not book a Covid booster despite receiving his second jab only five months earlier.

Pamela Nally was another person who should have been able to book a jab, but the NHS booking system told her she wasn't eligible

Pamela Nally is another person who should be able to get a jab. However, the NHS booked system said that she wasn’t eligible.

Professor Ashford was among those who were affected. He joked that the situation was like ‘#computersaysno.

‘I’ve read multiple news stories this morning that I am now in the group eligible for a booster vaccine and can book. He said that no one seems to know about the NHS booking systems.

His follow up message stated that the situation involved a’mind bogglingly poor usage of resource and messaging.

Now, which one can they book? 

People over 40-years-of-age who had their second Covid vaccine over three months ago  should be able to book their Covid booster to happen as soon as possible.

Also, anyone over 40 who has had their first Covid jab 2 months ago can book an appointment to receive their Covid booster shot ahead of time once the 3-month wait period is finished. 

A further expansion of the NHS booster book system for under 40s is planned. 

Ms. Pidd is an editor with The Guardian and told Sajid Javid, the health secretary, that her husband couldn’t book his jab now, even though he had received his second Covid vaccination five months earlier.     

The website is still not up to date, according to ‘Sajid. If their booster dose has been administered more than two weeks ago, 40-year olds cannot book the booster. I called NHS to confirm, and was told to wait for the updated booking system. She wrote that my husband received this message, and he had the second dose of his medication in July. 

Data manager, Pamela Nally, said the NHS website was failing to recognise her previous jab: ‘Should be able to book my #COVIDBooster but site not recognizing my vaccination and #119 not updated to allow booking past 5 month’. 

The NHS suggested that issues might arise when it announced today’s launch for the booster booking system. 

NHS England stated that it would update the system over the course the day. It read: “The online booking system to book vaccines will now be up-to-date this morning, and the details will continue to be added on the site throughout the day,” 

According to the NHS, 7 million people would have been eligible for a Covid booster today. 

The NHS Covid website has been in trouble before. It crashed last April due to high demand for vaccines after they were made available to people over 45. 

And yesterday, Boris Johnson today insisted that Britain’s Covid booster campaign was actually going faster than planned, despite data showing the country is still nowhere near meeting his 500,000-a-day target. 

The Prime Minister last week promised to put the rollout on ‘steroids’ and ramp up the number of third doses delivered.

The current rate of the booster rollout means Britain will miss the deadline to offer every eligible adult a Covid booster shot by the end January, instead hitting this target by 10 February

Britain won’t be offering every adult an eligible Covid booster shot at the current rate, so it may miss the deadline of 10 February to reach this goal.

Johnson, when asked yesterday about the speed and efficiency of the booster program, claimed that it was ahead of schedule. He then added it could be faster.

According to him, the booster programme was Europe’s most efficient and we have performed more boosters than any country comparable. However, it could still go much faster. 

Maggie Keenan — the first person in the country to receive a Covid vaccine — urges people to come forward for a jab on rollout anniversary

Today marks a year since Margaret Keenan (pictured) became the first person in the world to receive a Covid jab as part of a mass vaccination programme

Today is the one-year anniversary of Margaret Keenan’s (pictured) first ever Covid jab in a global mass vaccination program.

Today’s grandmother, who was the first to get vaccinated in Britain one year ago, has called on people to sign up for vaccines.

Margaret Keenan (who was first to get a Covid vaccine in the whole world) recently had her Covid booster administered and received flu shots.

The 91 year-old stated that being healthy and having the jab to get rid of this terrible virus was his best Christmas present. 

Mrs Keenan — known as Maggie — spoke at University Hospital Coventry where she received her first vaccine dose on December 8 last year at the start of the mass vaccine rollout.

Describing that moment, Mrs Keenan — a mother-of-two and grandmother-of-four from Coventry in the West Midlands — said: ‘It felt great, honestly, I could not believe that things went so well, afterwards.

‘At the time I wasn’t feeling good but once I got that jab and things started to be better, so I had a wonderful year — thanks to the NHS.’

She spoke out about those who haven’t had a jab yet and said that it was amazing to see how many people are hesitant.

‘I don’t know why because they should have it… everybody should have the jab.

“I repeat this phrase over and over.”

“We’re ahead in our own timeline, we’ve done over 20million boosters, and I’m pretty sure we’ve reached three-quarters the number of people 65+.”

Johnson stated that he expects a boost acceleration when the program is opened for under-40s next Wednesday.

According to him, “And ofcourse, starting Monday, we will contract the intervals so they go down to three month and that will result in a large uptick to the programme as well.” 

Latest NHS data shows the UK is nowhere near the 500,000-a-day goal and is in fact delivering fewer booster jabs on some days than before Mr Johnson’s pledge.

Today’s data revealed the slowness of the booster program with just 329,165 jabs on Monday. This date is the last for which figures have been made.

The booster rollout is still small, with only approximately 10,000 jabs more than last week’s 318,671 administered. 

The current pace of 2.7million per day means that it may take until February for any eligible Briton to get the third Covid vaccine. That’s almost two weeks after January’s deadline.  

The tech issues have slightly marred the rollout of the booster programme to the over 40s, coming on the one-year anniversary of the NHS delivering the first of the Covid vaccine in the UK.

Today, one year ago, Margaret Keenan, a British grandmother, became the first to be vaccinated outside of medial trials. She also launched the biggest ever vaccine program. 

Today, several NHS officials and Government officials urged citizens to have their booster shots as quickly as possible in order to guard against Omicron. 

Amanda Pritchard from NHS England was the chief executive and urged citizens to get their boosters immediately to prevent Omicron.   

She said that although there is much to be learned about Omicron variant, experts are confident in their ability to provide protection even though existing vaccines may not work as well. 

“So I encourage anyone who’s eligible to get in touch as quickly as possible and keep looking for appointments in their local area.

Javid, who claimed that the government was “boosting” the launch of Covid booster jabs across Britain also joined the fray. 

He stated that ‘We’re increasing our booster program to get more vaccines in arm’. From today, millions over 40 years old in England can pre-book their booster jab 2 months after receiving their first dose. This will allow them to be eligible to receive their next up shot.    

Chief executive at the UK Health Security Agency Dr Jenny Harries stated that it was crucial people receive their vaccinations quickly because Omicron cases have increased in Britain.   

It is important to boost our protection against Omicron, given the increasing number of Omicron-positive cases in this country. “Please get your booster or first jab as soon as possible,” she stated. 

A further expansion of the NHS booster book system is planned for Monday. This will allow those under 40 to book their Covid booster appointment. 

Covid booster campaigns have been plagued by problems booking vaccines and pleas from government officials for them to be obtained. This is a familiar scenario despite No.10’s promise to increase vaccination efforts.  

This booster campaign was launched in September and asked older Britons, who had been the first to be vaccinated alongside their health care providers to step forward to receive a third Covid shot. 

Eligible people said they had difficulty booking jabs. Or that appointments were given at unreasonable times or in remote locations. 

The Covid booster rollout has also seen geographic divisions, with only a fifth having their covid booster jabs in some parts of the nation.

England's Covid booster vaccine divide was laid bare today, with just over a fifth of over-50s having had their top-up jab in parts of the country. Graph shows: The proportion of people who have had a third dose in local authorities across the country

The Covid vaccine divide in England was exposed today. Only a fifth (25%) of those over fifty have had their third doses in certain parts of England. Graph: This graph shows the proportion of those who received a third dose from local authorities in different parts of the country.

Just 21 per cent of over-50s in Sparkhill North, a suburb in Birmingham, had received a third jab by November 28. Thirteen other areas scattered between Birmingham, Nottingham, Essex and Bradford also fall below the 25 per cent mark

By November 28, only 21 percent of Sparkhill North residents over 50 had received another jab. There are also thirteen other locations between Birmingham and Nottingham that fall under the 25% mark.

UK’s mammoth booster drive explained

By the beginning of January, every adult in the UK over 18 years old will receive a coronavirus booster shot.

– The Jabs program will offer five-year, descending age group options. It starts with seniors and the most vulnerable individuals before it moves down. 

– NHS will notify people when they’re eligible for an appointment to get a jab. They are asking people to wait to be invited. 

Together, there will almost 3,000 locations in the UK that offer vaccinations. This is nearly twice current numbers. 

1 500 community pharmacies will have the ability to give jabs. All will be informed to improve capacity  

For the NHS, expect at least 400 military personnel to deploy to support volunteers and staff to give jabs  

 GPs and community pharmacists will be incentivised to deliver more jabs, with the payment for standard delivery of a vaccination increased to £15 a shot

– An extra £5 per shot will be offered to GPs and pharmacists if they work on Sundays

– A £30 premium will be offered to GPs and pharmacists for vaccinations delivered to people who are housebound

Care Quality Commission to continue an pause in routine inspections of general practices. This will free up clinicians’ precious time.  

To increase access to smaller venues, the NHS will eliminate the 15-minute wait after vaccination.   

– The NHS is recruiting for up to 10,000 new paid vaccinator roles as well as for an army of ‘tens of thousands’ of new volunteers to help with the drive

Volunteers who are unpaid will be able to guide others at the vaccination centers. They must do at least 2 shifts per month. 

53million are likely to be eligible eventually, and 22 million will still qualify if they have not received a boost.  

MailOnline’s analysis has shown that some areas are already giving third doses of medication to 90% of most vulnerable adults. These were the first priority in the rollout. 

This website analyzes NHS data to find that many areas in inner cities are severely behind on the rollout. 

Only 21 percent of the over-50s living in Sparkhill North (a suburban in Birmingham) had been given a third shot by November 28.  13 other areas, scattered among Birmingham, Nottingham and Essex, also fell below the 25 percent mark. 

Experts criticize the inequal rollout. They argue that areas with low uptake are at greater risk from the coming wave.

MailOnline was informed by Professor David Livermore (a medical microbiologist from the University of East Anglia): ‘These data clearly reveal substantial variation in booster roll-out efficiency. The NHS must restart the delivery of this programme in those areas where it is not being used. 

MailOnline has found Felixstowe East (Suffolk) to have the highest adoption rate, at 85.7 per cent. 

There were two other areas that saw higher than 85 percent: Yately East, Hampshire (85.5%), and Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire (85.3%).

Following them were Fleet South and Pondtail (Hampshire), South Knutsford, Bexton and Bexton (both 84.4%), and Frimley Green and Bexton (both 83.6%).

Hyson Green in Nottingham was at the opposite end of this scale. Only 21.1 per cent were able to get a third booster shot after Sparkhill North. 

It was followed by Sparbrook South (21.9 per cent), Small Health Park (22.9 per cent) and Hockley and Jewellery Quarter (23.2 per cent) — all in Birmingham. 

An analysis using population estimates of 2020 from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), based upon population censuses from 2011, is used. This results in some uncertainty. 

The data from the second and first doses of Data are particularly overestimated because there may not be enough students living in certain areas.

James Lawson is a fellow at the Adam Smith Institute thinktank. He told MailOnline, “It’s disappointing once again that the vaccine campaign lacks pace and has huge regional disparities when it comes to booster shots for vulnerable.”

The gap in vaccination rates between most and least-vaccinated regions is over 60 points. Birmingham and Nottingham are particularly affected by the problem.

‘It’s shameful the vaccine campaign has languished given the Government now looks set to rush back to infringements on our most precious liberties — restrictions its own ministers can’t even comply with, undermining the basic fabric of the rule of law.

“Vaccines have reduced hospitalisations, deaths, and other complications by about 90 percent. There are also new treatment options that reduce the risk of the virus and alter the cost-benefit analysis.

Instead of trying to find a cheap and inflexible plan B, governments should make every effort to keep Plan A safe. Effective vaccinations for the most vulnerable are the best defense, and not just knee-jerk restrictions. We need to learn how to deal with Covid.

Covid News Today: ‘Professor Lockdown’ Neil Ferguson has today acknowledged that Omicron could face another national shutdown. This is after he said Omicron will dominate the market before Christmas.

According to the Government scientist, No10 was locked down last spring after his modeling showed that the government might allow stay-at home orders to be reinstated if the mutant strain is able overwhelm the NHS.

According to him, the BBC Radio 4 Today program: “There’s a reason, epidemiologically speaking, to slow it down. We want to give us more time, not only to inject boosters in people’s arms, because we think that people who have been boosted will be protected the most, but also so that we can better understand the threat.

When asked directly if a lockdown might be reinstated, he replied: “Clearly, if it is highly probable that the NHS will become overwhelmed then the Government must decide how to deal with that situation but that’s not an easy position to find yourself in. At the moment, it might be possible.

After new allegations this week, it is not clear how British citizens will react to restrictions on Christmas social media. It was alleged that Boris Johnson hosted a rule-breaking Lockdown Party in Downing Street last Dec. when millions of Britons couldn’t visit their loved ones.

According to some reports, No10 already has plans in place for Britons working from home as well as for offices to be shut down in an effort to reduce Christmas regulations.

Eminent epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector claimed infections of the highly evolved variant were doubling every two days. The above graph shows how the number of daily cases of Omicron could breach the 100,000 barrier before New Year's Day, if that pace continues

Professor Tim Spector was an eminent epidemiologist who claimed Omicron infections were doubled every other day. If the current pace of Omicron infections continues, the graph above shows that Omicron cases could surpass 100,000 daily by New Year’s Day.

According to reports, Johnson and his scientists gave a “sobering” Omicron briefing yesterday to Cabinet in order to encourage ministers to accept tougher curbs.

Yesterday saw a 45,691 Covid case increase in Britain, an increase of 15% compared with last week. 

 Deaths from their virus also jumped up, with an increase 13 per cent to 180 fatalities.