UK to expand COVID vaccine boosters amid omicron fears

By PAN PYLAS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain is extending its COVID-19 booster vaccine program to millions more people as part of efforts to tackle the spread of the new omicron variant, which is feared to be more contagious and vaccine resistant. The British government said Monday that it would accept in full the revised recommendations from the independent body of scientists that has been advising it, chief of which is that everyone aged between 18 and 39 should be offered a booster shot. Up until now, only people aged over 40 as well as those deemed particularly vulnerable to the virus were eligible. The major revision of the vaccine rollout comes after more cases of the omicron variant were reported in the U.K.