Health minister tries to calm booster jabs booking scramble as she says GPs ...

A Health Minister today urged up to 40million Britons now eligible for a booster to be 'patient' as they put a plan together with GPs to administer 500,000 jabs a day and outrun the Omicron variant - but the proposal has already hit trouble because doctors insist they have no capacity to do it.

The Government's vaccines advisers have expanded the rollout to everyone aged over 18 despite those already eligible struggling to get one before Christmas or having to travel 35 miles or more to their nearest vaccination centre.

Yesterday's announcement saw the NHS' website crash under the weight of people trying to book an appointment, and the 119 phoneline overwhelmed, leading to Health Minister Gillian Keegan today urging people to wait to be contacted by their GP.

She told Sky News: 'In the next couple of days we'll have the plan', adding the aim is to vaccinate 3.5million people a week - up from 2.5million currently. People will be contacted in five-year age brackets, she said, meaning the 35s to 39 group will be next.

Ms Keegan said the booking of booster jabs for all adults would open in age order and the systems would be up and running 'in the next couple of days'. People will be called for boosters by GP in age order, she said.,

She added: 'I think probably what will happen is the next cohort will be invited forward and then they'll be given, you know, some timeframes.

'But within the next couple of months... we are pretty good at this, standing up these operations, so we do know what to do but we just need to give the NHS a bit of time to operationalise... because we're doubling the eligible people, more or less, who are due a booster now.'

But ministers are set for a collision course with GPs, who say they have no time to do the jabs because of Sajid Javid's targets, including a return to face-to-face appointments. 

Dr Farah Jameel, chair of the BMA's England GP committee, said: 'There is this obsession with undeliverable targets. Since April all our contractual targets switched back on and that correlates with practices withdrawing from the vaccination scheme because we simply do not have the workforce.

'We are bound by these contracts. We have been calling for that to be lifted for months now. We are a burnt out workforce.

'What we are asking for a refocus of clinical priorities. We simply cannot deliver everything. We need to focus on clinical need. At this moment on time, the focus has to be on rolling out a monumental vaccination and booster programme and all hands on deck. We can deliver that but we are distracted by scattergun priorities. We do need to be released from contractual responsibilities'.   

The Government is 'very much hoping that we can keep Christmas on track', health minister Gillian Keegan said.

She told Sky News the position this year was much different due to the vaccine rollout.

She said: 'Of course Christmas is on track, and actually what everybody wants for Christmas is if you haven't had your first jab, come and get it, if you haven't had your second jab, come and get it, and if you haven't had your booster, come and get it when you're asked.'

Ms Keegan added that the chances of having to isolate over Christmas were 'pretty low'. 

She also admitted it is 'difficult' to get the balance of restrictions against the new variant of coronavirus right.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Keegan was asked whether the Government was overreacting with the new measures introduced.

But she said: 'We're trying to get that balance and proportion and it is difficult because it's unknown.'

She said the measures would 'buy some time' while scientists look into the Omicron variant.

She added: 'We will review it in three weeks. That'll give the scientists enough time to hopefully give us some insights.'

Figures show a third fewer mass vaccination hubs are in operation compared to earlier this year, while overwhelmed NHS staff say they will struggle to help with getting jabs in arms due to winter pressures.   

An average of 2.1million people in England are getting their booster jab per week, meaning all adults won't be boosted until mid-February if it continues at the current rate.

But ministers are aiming to carry out 500,000 Covid booster jabs a day in an effort to outpace the Omicron variant. 

Meanwhile, No10's spokesperson today said it was keeping the definition of 'fully vaccinated' 'under review', paving the way for people to need all three doses to be considered properly immunised.  

Britons are currently considered to be 'fully vaccinated' if they received their second dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna at least two weeks ago. 

If boosters were required to be considered completely immunised, all adults in the UK may require third doses to go to pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres as well as to work in health or social care. 

The JCVI previously advised the over-40s, health workers and those at high risk from Covid to get a booster to 'help them maintain high levels of protection against hospitalisation, severe illness or dying over the winter'.

But today it said 18 to 39-year-olds will also be offered third doses, in descending age groups in a bid to control the spread and boost protection against the new Omicron variant.

Experts fear the strain — scientifically known as B.1.1.529 — is more infectious than Delta and can dodge vaccine protection because its mutations make it look so different to previous versions of the virus. 

And due to the risk posed by the Omicron variant the third injection can be given from three months after the second dose, slashing the minimum wait from six months. 

Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid immunisation at the JCVI, said: 'Having a booster dose of the vaccine will help to increase our level of protection against the Omicron variant. 

'This is an important way for us to reduce the impact of this variant on our lives, especially in the coming months. 

'If you are eligible for a booster, please take up the offer and keep yourself protected as we head into winter.'

But since the booster programme was expanded to over-40s on November 15, dozens of people have reported spending hours on the phone to their GP or the NHS booking service, with one woman only getting through on her 92nd call.

And some eligible elderly patients were told their next available appointment was in a month's time.

Red tape is also hampering the rollout, with one 94-year-old blind woman turned away from a jab centre in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, as she arrived a day early. 

Patients are being encouraged to use the NHS walk-in finder for their nearest centre, supposed to be within ten miles.

But some have been told they must travel tens of miles to get their vaccine as many GP surgeries and pharmacies do not offer top-up jabs. 

Brian Bull and his partner Jennifer struggled to get their boosters because of confusing instructions on the NHS website.

Mr Bull, 83, was due for his jab nearly a month ago but is turned away by a clinic near his home in Appleby, Cumbria, every time he goes to it. 

He added: 'The NHS website said there was a walk-in centre at Penrith. We drove the 14 miles only for the receptionist to say she knew nothing about it.'

And figures last month revealed there are a third fewer mass vaccination hubs in operation compared to when the original two-dose Covid vaccine programme was at the peak of its powers in April.

The NHS moved away from the flagship centres, many of which were set up temporarily in sports stadiums, shopping centres and museums, with local pharmacies and GP surgeries picking up more of the load.

Current bumps in the rollout could be exacerbated by NHS capacity, with GPs and nurses stretched thin with winter pressures, meaning they may be unable to help get jabs into arms. 

Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, last month hinted GPs were struggling to get involved in the booster programme because they were already juggling a surge in demand for appointments and the flu jab campaign.

And the announcement today could spur on the 12.6million over-40s eligible for a booster jab that have not yet come forward, meaning the overwhelmed health service could struggle to keep up with demand for third doses.

But ministers are aiming to return to the early days of the vaccination campaign which saw 600,000 people jabbed a day. 

A senior government source told the Guardian ministers are aiming for a 'significant acceleration' in the booster vaccination drive, which would see 500,000 jabs administered a day, or about 3.5million a week, compared to the current 2.4 boosters a week. 

'That is the early plan but it won't happen overnight,' the source said.   

And the Prime Minister's official spokesman hinted Britons may need the top-up dose in the coming months to be considered 'fully vaccinated'. 

Under Plan B — which would see the Government tell people to work from home and introduce vaccine passports if the NHS faced unsustainable pressure — Britons could be required to prove they are fully vaccinated to enter certain settings, such as restaurants, pubs and cinemas. 

Asked whether adults in the UK will be required to have three Covid injections to be considered 'fully vaccinated' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Well, as I have said before, that is something we are keeping under review and obviously we will take clinical advice on what is appropriate.

'We recognise obviously there may be changes to our approach based on what we discover about this new variant. But we would update if there are any plans to change that definition.'

Asked whether people would be given sufficient notice if the change was introduced, they said: 'Yes. We would need to make sure it was done in advance and communicated clearly.'

England does not currently have vaccine passports in place, but rules came into effect last month requiring social care workers to be fully vaccinated to continue working in the sector. And the same rule will come into effect for frontline NHS staff from April.

It is not clear whether frontline workers would need all three jabs as part of the 'no jab, no job' policy that saw thousands leave the social care sector earlier this month. 

Rules are already in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland requiring people to show they are fully vaccinated or tested negative to go to nightclubs, bars and large-scale events.

Covid boosters for everyone over 18: Wait for third jab is slashed to three months and children aged 12-15 can now get second shot as two more Omicron variant cases are detected in London - but daily Covid cases, deaths and hospital admissions FALL Covid booster jabs are to be offered to all over-18s from three months after their second dose, scientists say  NHS England will open bookings in stages with older adults prioritised for top up vaccinations  Some 12million people in England are now eligible to get a booster dose, official figures from the NHS show  But there are already fears everyone who is currently eligible won't be able to get the top up before Christmas 

All Britons over the age of 18 were today made eligible for Covid booster vaccines as ministers try to shield against an incoming wave of the Omicron variant — as more cases of the super strain were detected in Scotland and England.

The gap between second and third doses has also been chopped in half to three months with Professor Jonathan Van-Tam claiming that boosters had 'never been more urgent'.  

Today's expansion means 50million Britons are now eligible for booster doses. Official data shows 17.5million have got their top-up jabs so far.

It's unclear how the NHS will cope with the surge in demand for boosters. There have been dozens of reports of over-40s struggling to book one even before the drive was widened to younger age groups. 

Boris Johnson's official spokesman admitted that the definition of 'fully vaccinated' might have to be updated to include three doses, saying the Government was keeping it 'under review'. 

The top-up drive will prioritise people based on their age so that those who are most vulnerable will be able to get their jab first. Previously, the roll out was only open to over-40s.

Professor Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, admitted it was likely that the Omicron variant would make vaccines less effective. But he said it was not all 'doom and gloom' because it could still protect against hospitalisation and death.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said the booster programme had been put 'on steroids' as the main line of defence against the worrying new variant that is believed to be more infectious and vaccine resistant than Delta.  

Delivering an update on the strain in the Commons today, he claimed that if the variant proves to be no more dangerous than Delta then 'we won't keep measures in place for a day longer than necessary'.

Some experts have claimed that Omicron might be so optimised for infecting people that it is less lethal than previous strains, and South African doctors say patients with the mutant virus appear to have much milder symptoms. 

From 4am tomorrow, face masks are to become compulsory in shops, public transport, hairdressers and beauty salons — with secondary schools also advised to enforce them in corridors and canteens. 

It came as Britain's Covid outbreak shrank by every measure. The Department of Health said there were Covid cases fell five per cent in a week after another 42,583 positive tests were registered. Latest hospitalisations fell 12 per cent, and deaths dropped by a fifth.   

Everyone will be offered Pfizer or Moderna as a booster dose, even if they were originally vaccinated with AstraZeneca.

Those aged 12 to 15 years old will also be able to get their second Covid jab for the first time.

And immunocompromised patients who were given three vaccine doses as part of their primary course are set to be offered a fourth booster dose. 

It came as two more Omicron cases were confirmed in London — in Wandsworth and Camden —, both with links to travel from South Africa. 

It means 11 infections have been detected in Britain to date, as labs probe up to 225 'possible' cases. Six cases were announced in Scotland this morning but 'some' had no links to travel, suggesting the mutant strain may already be spreading in the UK.

No10 experts fear the highly evolved Omicron strain, already thought to be spreading domestically, may 'significantly' reduce the effectiveness of two vaccine doses.

But they hope the extremely high protection offered by boosters will broaden immunity against the new strain.  

The Prime Minister today rejected calls from Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford to tighten up the UK's response to Omicron further arguing the initial response to the variant is correct and will be reviewed in three weeks.

The two first ministers of Scotland and Wales had demanded Covid self-isolation rules be extended from two to eight days to curb the spread of the virus, and called for a COBRA meeting to thrash out a four nations approach.  

As Britain's 11th case of the Omicron Covid variant was spotted:

South Africa has still recorded no hospitalisations and deaths from the mutant strain - but scientists will not know the risk it poses for another two weeks; World Health Organization chiefs warned the Omicron variant poses a 'very high' global risk as Dutch police arrest a couple who fled hotel quarantine and boarded a plane out of the country; Big city firms have started cancelling large-scale Christmas parties in favour of smaller gatherings amid uncertainty over the emergence of the new variant; Education unions demand face masks are brought back to classrooms after the Government reimposes the coverings for Year 7 upwards in communal areas but not during lessons; Boris Johnson says he will review Covid restrictions in three weeks after Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford call for quarantine for all UK arrivals to be increased to eight days; Some 11 cases of Omicron have been detected in Britain to date. Some of the six in Scotland had no links to foreign travel, suggesting the variant may be circulating in the community. 

Professor Van-Tam told a Downing Street press briefing it was not all 'doom and gloom' and that boosters should still trigger protection against hospitalisation and death from the new variant.

But he added the sheer number of mutations on the virus meant it was 'likely' to significantly reduce vaccines ability to prevent infections.

Professor Van-Tam said: 'On the effects of the new variants, and how well vaccine effectiveness will hold up, here I want to be clear that this is not all doom and gloom at this stage.

'I do not want people to panic at this stage. If vaccine effectiveness is reduced, as seems pretty likely to some extent, the biggest effects are likely to be in preventing infections and, hopefully, there will be smaller effects on preventing severe disease.'

Professor Van-Tam likened the battle against the virus to a football match.

He said the UK initially had 11 players to fight off the Wuhan virus following the rolling out of vaccines. 

The emergence of Alpha and Delta led to some injuries, he added, but that Omicron was like receiving a couple of yellow cards to key players.

He said: 'We may be OK but we're kind of starting to feel at risk that we might go down to 10 players and if that happens — or it's a risk that's going to happen — then we need everyone on the pitch to up their game in the meantime.' 

Professor Wei Shen-Lim, the chair of Britain's Covid vaccine advisory panel the JCVI, said they had extended the booster programme to ensure more people had the best protection possible against the virus.

He admitted there was likely to be a 'mismatch' between vaccines and variants, but said they should still be able to fend off serious disease. 

Britain's current crop of vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca — are designed to fight off the Wuhan virus, meaning they are less effective against other strains. 

Professor Shen-Lim told the Downing Street conference: 'Viruses develop variants that are different to the original virus and increase the likelihood of a mismatch between the vaccine on the one hand and the variant on the other hand. 

'The larger the mismatch between vaccine and variant the greater the likelihood that the level of protection provided by the vaccine will be lowered

'From what we know about the variant [Omicron] so far it may be that the vaccines that we have at the moment may be less good than against the current circulating delta variant.

'One way of reducing the impact of this mismatch between vaccine and variant is to increase the strength of the immune response provided by this currency vaccine.

'In other words, if we can raise the level of the immune response generated by this current vaccine that higher level of immune response will reach out and provide extra protection to mismatched variants.'

He said they were slashing the time between second dose and booster shot from six months to three to ensure people had the best possible protection before a potential winter wave.

He said: 'With any vaccine during a pandemic we get the greatest benefit of the vaccine both for individuals and society if the vaccine is deployed before the wave starts.

'If we deploy a vaccine in the middle of a wave or even after the peak of a wave then the benefit from the vaccine is much lower. We therefore want to provide boosters early enough such that it is before any possible wave.

He added: 'I am not here predicting there will be a wave of the new variant but should there be a wave we want to be in the best possible position.'

He urged anyone who is already eligible for a booster to get the jab to protect themselves and their families from the virus.

Some eight in ten over-70s have already got their third dose in England — or 6.4million people — but among over-60s less than six in ten have got their boosters, and for over-50s only a third are boosted. 

An estimated 23million people are now eligible for boosters in England but have not received their top up jab.

Some 14.9million doses have been dished out so far and, at a rate of 2.1million boosters a week, figures suggest it will take until mid-February for England to complete its second drive. This is near the end of winter. 

Over-50s were told they could get their top up jab from six months after their second dose more than two months ago. The drive was expanded to over-40s last week.  

Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the Commons today that he had asked the JCVI to review the scope of the booster programme because of the new variant.

He said their recommendation called for a 'huge step up' for the vaccination programme, almost doubling the numbers currently eligible.

He said: 'With this new variant on the offensive these measures will protect more people more quickly and make us better protected as a nation.

'It represents a huge step up for our vaccination programme, almost doubling the number of people who will be able to get a booster dose to protect themselves and their loved ones.

'And I know that we are asking more from NHS colleagues who've already given us so much throughout this crisis, but I know that they will be up to the task.

'The NHS will be calling people forward at the appropriate time so that those who are most vulnerable will be prioritised.'

He said 'in the coming

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