Tony Blair: Getting vaccine is 'civic duty' and govt should bump boosters to 500,000 a day

Tony Blair has said getting the vaccine is everyone's "civic duty" as he urged the UK government to accelerate its booster progamme to 500,000 jabs a day.

The former prime minister said about 165,000 COVID-19 booster jabs are being given each day but that needs to be bumped up to half a million to prevent restrictions having to be brought in as winter arrives.

He said the government has the ability to do so as that many vaccines were being administered during the initial rollout but criticised the government's current messaging.

Mr Blair told Sky News: "What the government needs to do is increase that capacity to give boosters and make it far more easy for people to do it.

"At the moment, it's a bit of a struggle when you're trying to book your booster shot, it should be easy, you could allow pharmacies to be doing it alongside the flu shot.

"I think there's a lot more they can do to make it clear why boosters are necessary."

The government has been accused of confusing messaging over the booster programme as it is now saying anyone eligible (who had their second jab six months ago) should no longer wait to be invited to book a booster.

However, the NHS booking website continues to say only people with invites can book.

Mr Blair said more effort needs to go into getting pregnant women vaccinated, and also children, as the UK is lagging behind France, Italy and Germany.

He said the situation in Israel shows how booster shots can really help protect people and prevent further restrictions from having to be imposed.

Israel was the first country to get most of its population vaccinated with two jabs but six months later it started seeing a rise in cases, but after providing booster shots, the situation came under control again.

Mr Blair also said there was so much evidence from around the world that the COVID-19 vaccines work so those who have chosen not to do not really have an excuse to not have the jab.

"If we really pushed on this in terms of public information and you get all the data out, the evidence that vaccination works is overwhelming, there's no doubt about it," he said.

He said people's failure to get vaccinated also puts others at risk and "no serious person is disputing" the global evidence that the vaccines work.

"To get vaccinated is actually part of your civic duty," he added.

Mr Blair said the UK is "running at about half the rate of France" when it comes to vaccinating 12-17 year olds.

"That's because the French are putting real efforts into making it clear to people why it's important to get students 12-17 vaccinated," he said.

"That's not because they necessarily become seriously ill themselves, it's because they can pass the disease on to others."