Covid-19: Sajid Javid asks public to 'follow rules' at Christmas

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

The move is expected to accelerate the ongoing vaccination programme in the country. Under the agreements, the UK will buy 54m more doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and 60m more doses from Moderna.

According to the officials, the purchases are in addition to the 35m extra Pfizer/BioNTech doses ordered in August for delivery in the second half of 2022.

Apart from these, the Government is also expecting to receive 60m doses of Novavas and 7.5m doses of GSK/Sanofi in 2022.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the new deals would “futureproof” the UK’s vaccine programme and ensure protection for “even more people in the years ahead”.

Mr Javid said: “These new deals will future proof the Great British vaccination effort, which has so far delivered more than 115 million first, second and booster jabs across the UK, and will ensure we can protect even more people in the years ahead.

“This is a national mission, and our best weapon to deal with this virus and its variants is to get jabs in arms. So when you are called forward, get the jab and get boosted.”

Officials at the Department of Health and Social Care said the new contracts included access to modified vaccines if needed to combat Omicron and future variants of concern.

The Government said it had enough supplies of both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech doses for the current expansion of the booster programme.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that all eligible adults in the UK would be administered the booster shot by the end of January.

The statement came at the time when the country has been witnessing a rise in the number of cases of Omicron variant.

Nine more cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in England and one in Scotland, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

It takes the UK total to 32, out of which 22 are in England and 10 in Scotland.

Vaccination experts advising the government have expressed preference for the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

DON’T MISS:
The Blacklist: Morgan’s return ‘sealed’ as star teases comeback [INSIGHT]
Queen served tea to oblivious Buckingham Palace builder [REVEAL]
‘Focus on saving lives!’ Boris furious as Macron brands PM ‘a clown’[SPOTLIGHT]

Trial data suggests booster doses are generally well tolerated and provide a substantial increase in vaccine-induced immune responses, in particular, and that mRNA vaccines provide a strong booster effect.

Source: Read Full Article