Booster jabs could be given out every year under a new programme to tackle new Covid variants, a minister has said.
Nadhim Zahawi, who is now education secretary, revealed the plan as people being given a booster shot passed 10 million.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid hailed the milestone as a "phenomenal achievement" as he urged people to "play their part" to help get through the winter.
He said: "If we all come together and play our part, we can get through this challenging winter, avoid a return to restrictions, and enjoy Christmas."
More than 400,000 people received their booster jab on Saturday, according to government figures.
Speaking to The Sun, Mr Zahawi said that a regime of annual boosters was planned.
He told the publication: "Ultimately our plan, we will, I hope be the first major economy to transition from pandemic to endemic and have an annual vaccination programme.”
Downing Street insiders were reported to have said ministers were not yet at the stage of planning an annual jabs programme, but would keep all data under review, in light of how immunity waned over time.
Any measures would not come into force until next winter at the earliest, say reports.
Mr Zahawi also told the outlet there was no need for under-11s to be given the jab.
He went on to suggest face coverings for school pupils in communal areas could come back as well as daily testing if it meant students could stay in class.
He said: "It’s inconvenient but a small price to pay to keep schools open. We absolutely do not want to close them.”
Latest Covid figures show that cases in the UK have fallen to their lowest level in five weeks but continue to soar with 30,305 cases recorded on Sunday.
Covid-19 infection rates are the highest they have ever been in England, raising concerns about the country's response to the virus.
Around one in 50 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to October 30, unchanged from the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics.
To date, more than 50 million first doses of a Covid vaccine have been administered as well as 45 million second shots and more than 10 million third shots, so-called 'booster' jabs.
