ENGLAND will begin rolling out its fourth Covid-19 shot this week, announced the National Health Service (NHS) today, with millions of the most vulnerable people being offered shots.

The latest booster will be made available to care home residents, the immunosuppressed and people aged over 75.

About five million people are expected to be offered the shot, and 600,000 are being invited to book their appointments next week, said the NHS.

“Our phenomenal immunisation programme has saved countless lives and built a wall of defence, which has allowed us to learn to live with Covid-19,” said Health and Social Care secretary Sajid Javid.

“Following the massive success of the roll-out so far, we are now offering over-75s and the most vulnerable a spring booster dose to top up their protection against the virus.”

Cases are soaring once again across Britain due to a rampant Omicron variant, with around one in 20 people currently infected.

Hospitalisations are once again rising, but the number of people in high-dependency care remains low.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking at his Conservative Party’s spring conference yesterday, said: “We are getting ready for the fourth jab, because we are going to need it.”

Britain has been one of the hardest-hit countries during the pandemic, with more than 163,000 people dying after contracting the disease. – AFP, March 20, 2022.