The UK has reached "crunch point" for family Christmases - and we could miss out if people don't get their vaccine boosters.
That's the messaged from NHS England medical director Stephen Powis who, writing in the Telegraph on Sunday, warned those offered the extra jabs to attend their appointments.
He said getting the boosters was vital to "protect the freedom and Christmas that we have all earned”, The Mirror reports.
Go here for the latest coronavirus updates and breaking Covid-19 news
Prof Powis wrote: “This time last year the whole country was bracing itself for another lockdown.
"There were more than 6,800 people in hospital with Covid, and cases and admissions were rising at an alarming rate.
“Fast forward to today and cases are rising again with 6,405 people in hospital with Covid going into this weekend.”
He added: “Although the country once again finds itself at a crunch point, the NHS vaccination programme remains the strongest weapon in the armoury.
“The scale, speed and precision of the NHS Covid vaccination programme has cleared a path for the country to find its way out of the pandemic. The freedom we now all enjoy, and hope to continue embracing, is a direct result of the country’s willingness and desire to come forward for a Covid jab when it has been offered.”
Nine vulnerable groups comprised of up to 30 million people will be offered the third booster six months after their second jab.
Although roughly 8.5 million people are eligible in England, only around 5.1 million third jabs have been given so far.
About 60% of the elligible over 80s have had their third injection.
Meanwhile the government has been urged to move into 'Plan B', encouraging working from home and ordering mask wearing, as scientists warn that vaccines alone are not enough to stop the rising infections, hospitalisations and deaths.
Professor Adam Finn, who is on the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths are rising, and warned against complacency in what he said is a “worsening” situation.
Professor Finn told Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News: “The vaccine programme by itself is not enough to bring things under control.
“You do need people using lateral flow tests, avoiding contact with large numbers of people in enclosed spaces and using masks.
"All of those things now need to happen, if we’re going to stop this rise and get things under control soon enough to stop a real meltdown in the middle of winter.”
For the latest local news in your area direct to your inbox every day, go here to sign up to our free newsletter
