LONDON (Reuters) -Long queues formed at a vaccine centres in England on Tuesday as hundreds of thousands of people rushed to get COVID booster shots after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the Omicron variant could overcome the immunity of the inoculated.
The National Health Service said 704,148 vaccine appointments were made on Monday, including 655,170 for boosters.
Hundreds queued up at a walk-in vaccination centre at Saint Thomas’ Hospital in London and at other centres across England, Reuters photographers said.
“Vaccination sites have been asked to operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week wherever possible and in every community, there should be slots available at least 16 hours a day,” said Dr Emily Lawson, director of the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme.
There were, though, problems ordering lateral flow tests – which will be required for some social gatherings – for home delivery.
“There are no rapid lateral flow tests available to order today for home delivery,” the government’s website said.
(Reporting by Toby Melville, editing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton and Paul Sandle)
