Coronavirus vaccinations to be available 24/7, Boris Johnson says in major U-turn

Move comes days after Downing Street said there was ‘no clamour’ for round-the-clock jabs

Coronavirus vaccinations will be made available on a 24-hour basis “as soon as we can”, prime minister Boris Johnson has said.

The announcement represents yet another government U-turn, after Downing Street this week brushed off Labour calls for night-time opening of vaccine centres, saying there was “no clamour” for it.

Ministers rethought plans after coming under intense pressure to step up vaccination rates, with one source saying that a pilot of longer hours was being planned to gauge the scale of demand.

Dates and venues for round-the-clock jabs were not immediately available.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pressed Mr Johnson for 24/7 opening at prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons.

Sir Keir said he had visited a vaccine centre in Newham, east London, last week to see the “uplifting” work of NHS staff, Red Cross and volunteer workers.

“They had a simple message to me, which is if they had more vaccine, they could and they would do more,” Starmer told MPs.

 "I'm sure that's shared across the country. I welcome news that's come out this morning about a pilot of 24/7  vaccine centres. I anticipate there's going to be huge clamour for this. 

“So can the prime minister tell us, when will the 24/7 vaccine centres be open to the public, because I understand they're not at the moment? And when will they be rolled out across the country?"Mr Johnson responded: “We'll be going into 24/7 as soon as we can.”

The PM said that any restriction on delivery of the vaccine was down to the scale of supply available.