Britain secures 114m extra shots of variant-busting Covid jabs – as UK moves closer to fourth dose

BRITAIN has secured 114 million extra doses of variant-busting Covid jabs – as the country moves closer to the fourth dose.

Ministers have announced fresh deals for additional Pfizer and Moderna shots over the next two years in a bid to protect our hard-won freedom.

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It includes access to modified vaccines that can tackle Omicron or other new variants of concern.

Ministers said the bumper new contract will help the UK keep future waves of the pandemic “at bay”.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “These new deals will future proof the Great British vaccination effort – which has so far delivered more than 115 million first, second and booster jabs across the UK – and will ensure we can protect even more people in the years ahead.

“This is a national mission and our best weapon to deal with this virus and its variants is to get jabs in arms – so when you are called forward, get the jab and get boosted.”

The latest order is in addition to the 35 million extra Pfizer jabs already secured for late 2022, as well as 60 million Novavax and 7.5 million GSK/Sanofi doses also expected next year.

It takes the total UK vaccine order book to 453.5 million shots.

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So far, 115 million doses have been used to immunise Brits, while 70 million have been pledged abroad.

Every Brit adult will now be offered a booster jab by the end of January in a bid to keep the Omicron variant at bay.

Pfizer's CEO Dr Albert Bourla today said that it was likely that booster vaccines would have to be given out annually to keep on top of Covid infections.

He told the BBC: "If we have to make a guess based on everything I have seen so far, I would say that annual vaccinations...are likely to be needed to maintain a very robust and very high level of protection."

In order to help the rollout across the UK, around 400 military personnel will be drafted in to help set up and staff new jab clinics as part of a record rollout.

And the NHS is hiring an extra 10,000 vaccinators and urging tens of thousands to join frontline volunteers, including The Sun’s Jabs Army.

The latest jabs purchase ensures that Britain has enough shots to last until 2023, with plenty of vials available to cover a potential fourth dose.

A year ago today on December 2, the UK became the first country in the world to approve a Covid jab for public use.

Now the world’s biggest pharma giants will join Boris Johnson to discuss how to prevent future pandemics.

The PM will convene a global Biopharmaceutical summit, as he pledges to transform Britain into a “science superpower”.

Mr Johnson will today challenge industry to use the lessons of Covid to tackle other major healthcare challenges – such as dementia and obesity.

He said: “With scientists around the world working tirelessly to learn more about the Omicron variant, we have never been more indebted to the extraordinary power of Life Sciences.

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“Today I am bringing global industry leaders together to discuss our renewed efforts against Covid-19, while ensuring we are better equipped to tackle future healthcare challenges.

“As we press ahead with our goal to become a science superpower, the new investments made today will help us forge life-changing breakthroughs against other diseases, such as cancer and dementia, while creating hundreds of high-skilled jobs across the country.”

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