85% of Omicron hospitalisations didn't have booster vax in England: Report

More than four-fifths of Omicron patients in England's hospitals have not had their booster doses, official figures have revealed.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed the toll in its weekly surveillance update, saying 608 out of 815 hospitalised patients struck down with the ultra-infectious variant were not triple-jabbed. A quarter was unvaccinated, reports DailyMail.

Meanwhile, the health officials unveiled further data showing that booster vaccines cut the risk of hospitalisation with Omicron by up to 88 per cent.

And two doses still slashed the odds by up to 72 per cent, up to nearly six months after the jab, the report said.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the recent figures 'reinforced' the importance of vaccines in saving lives and preventing serious illness.

Ministers ramped up the booster drive with the aim of hitting 1 million jabs a day in an effort to give every eligible Briton the third jab before the end of the year and stop the NHS from being overwhelmed this Winter.

The UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson bragged about hitting that target despite figures showing 9.5 million eligible adults in England are still yet to have the booster jab.

--IANS

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