Many Covid booster jabs were delivered in Special Centres across England by volunteers who gave up Christmas Day.
NHS England has said that thousands of first, second and third jabs will be given on December 25 as the Government races to boost national immunity against Omicron before the variant plunges the country further into crisis.
Appointments are available in at least eight locations including London, Manchester, Swindon and Eastbourne. There are no vaccination centers in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland right now or tomorrow.
Redbridge Town Hall, Croydon University Hospital and Redbridge Town Hall will provide jabs in London on Christmas Day as well as Boxing Day.
However, many sites in England remain closed through Monday. The public is advised to consult the online list of locations that are open for walk-ins or to book appointments.
According to the NHS, 60 percent of adult UK residents have received booster vaccinations. A record-breaking number of vaccines has been administered in seven days. Over 32 million boosters and third doses of vaccines have been given.
Jaya Authunuri is the head of the vaccination service at Bridlington’s Medical Centre in East Yorkshire. She said that the increase in jabs delivered has been from 1,000 per week to 5,000 per week since the announcement about the booster rollout.
Vaccines will be available for walk-in patients between 11am-12pm. However, Mr. Authunuri stated that the centre may stay open an additional three hours if they have significant demand.
‘Christmas is all about giving, giving hope, giving presents etc,’ he told BBC News. ‘When we sat down and thought what is the thing that we can actually give to the community, the doctors and myself we thought giving our time to the community is the most precious gift that we can give and hence we thought we’d open the practice for that basis.’
Christmas Day at Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour Community Centre saw a man get a Covid vaccine booster.
At the Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour Community Centre, another man gets a booster jab
At the Sovereign Harbour Community Centre, a volunteer administers a Covid booster shot to a woman.
The Good Health Pharmacy is north London’s best place to get a booster vaccine against the flu.
According to the NHS, 60 percent of UK adults have had a booster jab. A record-breaking number of vaccines has been administered in the last seven days. Over 32 million boosters and third doses of vaccines have been given.
Sajid Javid Health Secretary, shown pictured: ‘Millions’ of vaccine slots available through festive calendar. If you aren’t boosted and receive this text to confirm, then take the offer and get vaccinated.
Fenil lalji is a worker at North London’s Good Health Pharmacy. He said that he helped get the jabs in arm after Covid, his friend, died in January.
The Government has announced it will be sending millions of text messages on Boxing Day urging people to ‘get boosted now’.
The message will say: ‘Every adult needs a Covid-19 booster vaccine to protect against Omicron. Get your Covid-19 vaccine or booster.’
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: ‘Millions of vaccine slots are available through the festive calendar so if you’re not boosted and you get this text, take up the offer and get vaccinated.’
More than 122,000 Covid daily cases were reported yesterday. ONS figures published on Friday said that around 1.7million people in the UK (around 2.7 per cent of the population) had tested positive for the virus on December 19 – up by more than 368,000 on the figure three days earlier.
ONS chief Sir Ian Diamond said there were ‘indications’ that Omicron was encouraging people to adopt ‘safer’ behaviour, but it was ‘far too early to suggest that we will see anything other than a continued rise’ in cases.
Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency, said findings that Omicron may be less likely to result in serious illness than Delta offer a ‘glimmer of Christmas hope’ but it ‘definitely isn’t yet at the point where we could downgrade that serious threat’.
Boris Johnson stated that he might impose additional Covid restrictions after Christmas, if necessary. Tomorrow will see tougher Covid restrictions in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Yesterday’s Christmas message by the Prime Minister was published. Encouraged people all over the UK to receive their booster jabs and described it as a wonderful gift to their family.
Christmas Day at Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour Community Centre saw a man get a Covid vaccine booster.
At the Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour Community Centre, another man gets a booster jab
NHS England announced that thousands of Omicron jabs would be administered on December 25, in an effort to strengthen national immunity before Omicron plunges the nation further into crisis.
At the Sovereign Harbour Community Centre, a volunteer administers a Covid booster shot to a woman.
Christmas Day at Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour Community Centre saw a man get a Covid vaccine booster.
Warning that the pandemic is far from over, Mr Johnson said: ‘Though the time for buying presents is theoretically running out, there is still a wonderful thing you can give your family and the whole country, and that is to get that jab, whether it is your first or second, or your booster.
“So next year’s celebrations are even more amazing than the one this year.”
Labour leader Sir Keir starmer thanked key workers for’saving countless lives’ and paid tribute the Armed Forces at home and abroad.
He added, “We have been getting the vaccine that protects and prevents us infecting people.” It is easy to take pride in this nation’s great spirit of neighborliness.
“Getting jabbed is not only for them, it’s also for us, our friends, family, and anyone we know.
“And this, after all is the teachings of Jesus Christ who is the center of the enormous festival. That we should love each other as much as we love ourselves.
“Let’s remember to think about all the people who have good neighbors and are thinking of other people.
“All the NHS workers who worked over Christmas; our nurses and all those involved in this incredible vaccine campaign.