90% of ICUs don’t have booster jab, says British PM

London:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that nearly 90 per cent of coronavirus patients in intensive care units have not received a booster jab, defending his decision not to curb the virus in England.

Speaking at a vaccination centre, PM Johnson urged people to get a “vital” booster jab, adding that the “overwhelming majority” of those currently in intensive care in our hospitals have not received a booster jab.

The prime minister added in Milton Keynes in central England, “I’ve talked to doctors who say the numbers are running up to 90 percent in intensive care, which haven’t been increased.”

People who have not been vaccinated are “eight times more likely to end up in hospital,” he warned.

The UK has been hit by a massive surge of the new Omicron variant, with England and Wales reporting record case numbers on Tuesday. Britain has been one of the worst hit in Europe with 148,021 deaths.

PM Johnson said that more than 32.5 million people have received booster jabs in the UK so far.

He urged the 2.4 million people who had two jaws more than six months ago, but no boosters came forward.

While there are limited social interactions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and nightclubs are closed ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations, PM Johnson justified his decision not to do so in England.

The high level of boosters in England “allowing us to proceed cautiously with the new year,” he said.

The government put on hold further restrictions because “we can see data about the relative benignity of Omicron,” PM Johnson said.

He also emphasized “the very, very obvious effect of getting those jabs, especially of boosters”, that “is making a huge difference”.

PM Johnson had set a target of giving booster jab to all adults by the end of the year. “What we need to do now is really finish that work,” he said on Wednesday.

(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)