Coronavirus: Army to help with booster vaccines for all UK adults.

The army helped to give out vaccines in previous efforts to support the the NHS in boosting jab numbers

The army will help in an effort to give booster vaccinations to all UK adults by New Year's Day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced.

Speaking on TV in a recorded message on Sunday night after Strictly Come Dancing, the PM explained that the top-up vaccinations would help "in our battle with the new variant".

The plan will be delivered across all four UK nations, he said.

Scotland is also setting the same target to offer all adults a booster by the end of the year, and Northern Ireland said it is stepping up its rollout and hopes to get as many people as possible boosted by then too.

Describing the Omicron booster effort as "a national mission unlike anything we have done before in the vaccination programme", the prime minister announced the target to offer everyone over 18 their third jab by the end of this month.

It means one million top-up doses need to be given every day between now and New Year - more than double the current rate.

Mr Johnson said the booster vaccination effort will see the army stationed across 42 different vaccination sites across every region of the country.

Meanwhile thousands more volunteer vaccinators will be trained. But doctors and hospitals will have to suspend normal appointments to help deliver the vaccine target.

The Omicron variant was first discovered in a infected patient in the UK in November, and is thought to be easier to catch than other versions of the illness.

Finding a new variant of Covid-19 isn't unusual. The virus is constantly changing, and lots of strains have been discovered since the coronavirus was first discovered last year.

Experts say Omicron seem to spread much more quickly and if lots of people catch it, and even a small percentage have to go to hospital for treatment, it will put a lot of pressure on the NHS.

People queue up for Covid-19 booster jabs outside a vaccination centre in London

"I know there will be some people watching who will be asking whether Omicron is less severe than previous variants, and whether we really need to go out and get that booster. And the answer is yes we do," said the Prime Minister explaining that a third vaccination will give adults more protection than just two injections.

Evidence from the UK Health Security Agency showed that two doses of vaccine in adults is not enough to prevent symptoms in those infected with Omicron.

But a boosters shot brings protection back up to to 75 per cent.

More than 23 million adults have had their top-up booster jab so far, meaning another 22 million are now able to get their third injection.