British Health Secretary Sajid Javid urged people to book a COVID-19 booster shot on Wednesday as he said there were 22 confirmed cases of the Omicron virus variant in the country.
Javid said the government believed a booster campaign would help protect against severe disease from Omicron, even if it turns out that vaccines are not as effective against the variant as previous strains of the disease.
He said he hoped to know more about Omicron within two weeks, as scientists work to understand what impact the new variant will have on transmissibility and serious disease.
"At this point in time the case numbers are very low," Javid told Sky News. "For the UK we've got 22 confirmed cases at the moment and that will go up, it will certainly go up."
Britain plans to offer all adults a COVID-19 booster shot by the end of January. Government data shows 81% of the population aged over 12 have had two doses of the vaccine while 32% have had a booster shot or third dose.
"Our best form of defence still remains our vaccines," Javid said. "It's possible of course, it's possible that it might be less effective. We just don't know for sure yet. But it's also very likely that it will remain effective against serious disease."
Hundreds of thousands took part in anti-austerity protests across France on Thursday, urging President Emmanuel Macron and his new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to acknowledge their anger and scrap looming budget cuts.
Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the renewal of their nations' "special relationship" on Thursday, ending the US President's unprecedented second state visit with a show of unity after avoiding several possible pitfalls.
The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Joint Defence Council has strongly condemned the Israeli military attack on Qatar, calling it a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Workers broke through a final, thin veil of rock on Thursday, opening an underground tunnel between Austria and Italy that will eventually become a high-speed rail line linking the north and south of Europe.
Israeli tanks were seen in two Gaza City areas that are gateways to the city centre, residents said on Thursday, while internet and phone lines were cut off across the Gaza Strip, a sign that ground operations were likely to escalate imminently.
Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.
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