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| Covid: Website crashes as thousands try to book boosters | Covid: Website crashes as thousands try to book boosters |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| More than 100,000 people trying to book their Covid booster jabs on Monday has led to the NHS website crashing, the government has said. | More than 100,000 people trying to book their Covid booster jabs on Monday has led to the NHS website crashing, the government has said. |
| And the ordering of lateral flow kits from the government website has been temporarily suspended amid high demand. | And the ordering of lateral flow kits from the government website has been temporarily suspended amid high demand. |
| It comes after the prime minister said over-18s in England would be offered a third dose by the end of the year. | It comes after the prime minister said over-18s in England would be offered a third dose by the end of the year. |
| He also said fully jabbed people would be advised to do daily tests after contact with a Covid case from Tuesday. | |
| Long queues at walk-in vaccine centres in England were reported on Monday after Boris Johnson announced an expansion to the booster rollout on Sunday evening, in response to the Omicron variant. | |
| At least one person in the UK has died with Omicron, the prime minister confirmed on Monday. | At least one person in the UK has died with Omicron, the prime minister confirmed on Monday. |
| How do I book my booster vaccine? | How do I book my booster vaccine? |
| Race on between virus and vaccine - Javid | Race on between virus and vaccine - Javid |
| Is a million boosters a day achievable? | |
| Online bookings for the over 30s opened from Monday, while 18-29 year olds are due to begin booking their booster jabs on Wednesday. | |
| An NHS Digital spokesperson said: "The vaccine booking service is facing extremely high demand and is operating a queuing system to manage numbers. | An NHS Digital spokesperson said: "The vaccine booking service is facing extremely high demand and is operating a queuing system to manage numbers. |
| "We would advise people currently unable to book to try again later today or tomorrow." | "We would advise people currently unable to book to try again later today or tomorrow." |
| Jo, 37, from Cambridge told the BBC it had taken her three hours to book an appointment for January and she had gone "round in circles" before managing to do so. | Jo, 37, from Cambridge told the BBC it had taken her three hours to book an appointment for January and she had gone "round in circles" before managing to do so. |
| The prime minister's official spokesman said the NHS was making sure there was "further capacity" on the website to book booster jabs in an effort to "adapt to the increased demand". | |
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| Boris Johnson confirms a patient has died with Omicron in UK | |
| Separately, there has been an issue with ordering lateral flow tests from the government website, which said "there are no more home tests available". | Separately, there has been an issue with ordering lateral flow tests from the government website, which said "there are no more home tests available". |
| The UK Health Security Agency said ordering lateral flow tests online had been temporarily suspended to "fulfil existing orders" because of "exceptionally high demand". | The UK Health Security Agency said ordering lateral flow tests online had been temporarily suspended to "fulfil existing orders" because of "exceptionally high demand". |
| It added: "Everyone who needs a lateral flow test can collect test kits - either at their local pharmacy, some community sites and some schools and colleges." | |
| Asked about the issue with ordering rapid tests, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was a "ready supply". | |
| He added: "But what I think, if I may say so, what that also shows is that people are doing the sensible thing and getting tests as well." | He added: "But what I think, if I may say so, what that also shows is that people are doing the sensible thing and getting tests as well." |
| Government sources told the BBC the problem would be resolved in a matter of hours after the rapid tests were restocked. | Government sources told the BBC the problem would be resolved in a matter of hours after the rapid tests were restocked. |
| The rush for tests followed news that from Tuesday, people who have been in contact with a Covid case will not need to isolate if their daily tests remain negative for seven days, and if they have had at least two vaccine doses. | |
| Anyone who has a positive result from a rapid test should take a PCR test to verify the result, as well as continue to self-isolate. | Anyone who has a positive result from a rapid test should take a PCR test to verify the result, as well as continue to self-isolate. |
| People queuing for boosters outside a pharmacy in Sevenoaks, Kent | |
| Meanwhile, large queues for booster jabs have been seen forming at vaccination points around England. | |
| At Wimbledon's Centre Court shopping centre in south-west London, the queue for walk-in jabs stretched from one end of the building to the other after just 30 minutes of being open. | At Wimbledon's Centre Court shopping centre in south-west London, the queue for walk-in jabs stretched from one end of the building to the other after just 30 minutes of being open. |
| By 09:00 GMT, more than 100 adults - mostly under-40s wearing masks and some with babies in buggies - were waiting. | By 09:00 GMT, more than 100 adults - mostly under-40s wearing masks and some with babies in buggies - were waiting. |
| In the West Midlands, a long queue of about 200 people was seen at a car park and side roads at the back of the vaccination centre in Lye, near Stourbridge. | |
| People at the front said they had waited for about an hour to reach the entrance, with some people with booked appointments choosing to leave after being forced to wait. | People at the front said they had waited for about an hour to reach the entrance, with some people with booked appointments choosing to leave after being forced to wait. |
| Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed 750 members of the military have been deployed to speed up the rollout of the booster programme. | |
| He said: "Our armed forces will help to get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible as we continue our efforts to support the UK's response to the pandemic." | |
| On Monday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned the UK was in a "race between the virus and the vaccine" over the spread of Omicron. | |
| He said the new highly-transmissible Covid-19 variant was spreading at a "phenomenal rate", with cases doubling every two to three days. | He said the new highly-transmissible Covid-19 variant was spreading at a "phenomenal rate", with cases doubling every two to three days. |
| How have you been affected by issues with getting a booster vaccine? Please get in touch by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | How have you been affected by issues with getting a booster vaccine? Please get in touch by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: |
| WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 | WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 |
| Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay | Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay |
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| IN THE END, ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHO BELIEVES HIM: A young man fights to prove his innocence | IN THE END, ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHO BELIEVES HIM: A young man fights to prove his innocence |
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