PM Johnson urges Britons to get COVID-19 jab for Christmas
Al JazeeraBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on the eve of Christmas, has urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as a gift to their families and the nation, as a surge in cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant casts a shadow over the festivities. “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 your second or your booster,” Johnson said on Friday in his annual seasonal message, posted as a video clip on Twitter. “ we all know we must together try to stop the spread of this new variant – we must test ourselves and take extra care when meeting elderly or vulnerable relatives.” ‘Jingle jab’ vaccine drive His remarks came as National Health Service England confirmed mass vaccination efforts would continue over the Christmas weekend, with the health service’s “jingle jab” campaign set to see inoculations administered at clinics and local sites such as town halls and pharmacies on Christmas Day on Saturday and Boxing Day on Sunday. “This Christmas, before sitting down to your dinner with your family, I would encourage anyone not already boosted to come forward, book an appointment and get the gift of a jab,” said Dr Emily Lawson, head of the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme. Further measures mooted In his Christmas message, Johnson also said he hoped this year’s festive period would be “significantly better than the last”, when indoor gatherings were heavily restricted throughout the UK.