UK to soon start 24/7 vaccination, Johnson confirms

LONDON

Britain will start administering the Covid-19 vaccine in new vaccine centers on a 24/7 basis as soon as possible, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Wednesday.

Taking questions from lawmakers at the House of Commons, Johnson said details of the round-the-clock rollout will be given by his health secretary.

Johnson revealed earlier in the week that the vaccine centers will start vaccinating people non-stop, as the government targets giving a dose of the jab to around 15 million people by mid-February.

Criticized by Labour Party leader Keir Starmer for lagging anti-Covid-19 measures, Johnson said the lockdown measures seem to be working.

Starmer had stressed that further and tougher measures will be needed as the situation is worse now.

Officials say 2.4 million people have been vaccinated to date.

Vaccinations are now being offered to four top priority groups.

School meals controversy

The Labour leader also criticized the government over school meal parcels distributed around the country, the target of a public backlash.

Photos of the substandard content of the free meal parcels, which are delivered to the poorest students during the pandemic, have been widely shared on social media in recent days.

Starmer said that it "shouldn't have taken social media to shame" the prime minister into action over the matter.

Johnson said he was not happy with the parcels and thanked footballer Marcus Rashford, who has been campaigning on free school meals during the pandemic to poor students, for highlighting the problem.

Johnson also said a Conservative government had started free school meals, and £280 billion ($383 billion) has been spent by the government "in favor of the poorest and neediest in our society" during the pandemic.