The booster vaccination rollout could be rapidly expanded from Monday as government ministers implement plans to tackle the new Omicron variant.
Reports of the expansion of the vaccine booster plans, come as school children have been told to wear masks in communal areas again, with the public also expected to put on their coverings on public transport and when shopping.
READ MORE: Third case of Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in UK
The government’s vaccines watchdog could recommend the use of boosters for younger people and suggest a shorter wait time between the second jab and booster dose, according to The Guardian.
Over-18s are to receive a booster “earlier” than previously envisioned, according to the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Professor Anthony Harnden also called the acceleration of the booster programme a "sensible strategy".
The Government could be set to expand the age range as well as reduce the interval between the second and booster doses.
The decisions on the booster programme come amid concerns over the impact of winter pressures on the NHS, as well as the identification of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.
Scientists fear the new variant is highly transmissible and could potentially evade some vaccine protections.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, acknowledged it was “very likely” that further cases of Omicron would be discovered in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid predicted "a great Christmas."
He said: “I think people should continue with their plans as normal for Christmas, I think it’s going to be a great Christmas”.
He added that he expects to receive new advice “imminently”, within the next couple of days, from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The JCVI is set to advise Government on immunisation and has been tasked with reviewing whether boosters should be extended to all over-18s.
The group will also consider whether second doses should be offered to 12 to 15-year-olds, and whether the waiting time before a booster jab could be reduced.
The Health Secretary went on to describe vaccines as “our first form of defence”.
According to the Guardian, the idea of expanding boosters and reducing the gap between doses was welcomed by scientists.
Danny Altmann, professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, told The Guardian: “If you’ve got a glimmer of evidence, and I think we have, that the vaccines are still holding up to some extent, then it would be a good idea to get as many people boosted as quickly as possible to raise their level of protection.”
