Boris Johnson labels anti-vaxxers ‘nuts’ as he calls on everybody to get a flu jab to prevent winter NHS crisis
Boris Johnson visited a GP surgery in East London to discuss the winter flu jab (Sky News)
2 min read
Boris Johnson has labelled people who oppose having vaccines as “nuts” as he calls on everyone to get a flu jab and prevent a crisis in the NHS this winter.
The Prime Minister warned coronavirus "could come back again” as he urged Brits to follow the new rules on face coverings and maintain social distancing.
Speaking at a GP surgery in East London to nurses administering the jab, he said: "There's all these anti-vaxxers now. They are nuts, they are nuts.”
It comes after polling showed one in six people said they “definitely” or “probably would not” get inoculated if a coronavirus vaccine became available.
The PM was making the visit as the Government announced it wants to double its winter flu vaccination programme in England to 30 million people.
There are fears the NHS could face a double whammy of a second wave of Covid-19 cases and a seasonal flu outbreak.
Mr Johnson said: “We want everybody to get a flu jab in the run up to this winter, and that's why we're running out the biggest ever program of flu immunisation communication.
"And we're aiming first of all, for schoolchildren those up to year seven, for pregnant women, for people over 65, for people who have been shielded, but then we'll be extending it to people from 50 to 65."
He added: "The reason for doing this is to protect the NHS in the winter months because obviously we've still got Covid, we’ve still got the threat of a second spike of Covid, and it's vital therefore to keep that pressure off the NHS by everybody getting a flu jab and I really hope everybody will.”
Asked why the Government is not paying for everyone to have the flu jab if they want all people to have it, the PM replied: “Well, we will be as I say, bringing forward plans so that 50 to 65 year olds also get the flu jab, where they need it and and to build up the immunisation that we need.
"And a very very significant proportion of the population we're already inoculating, immunising, free.
“That's the way forward and I just urge everybody in those groups to do it.
"You know, it is something that you can do to protect yourself against flu, but it's also something that we can all do to protect the NHS.”
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