UK PM Johnson receives COVID-19 booster shot

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received his COVID-19 booster shot on Thursday and urged others to follow suit to help the country fend off the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

Wearing a mask, Johnson briefly chatted to staff and others queuing for their shots at the vaccination centre in central London, asking them if they were there to receive a booster dose and thanking them for attending.

Johnson, who said it could "have gone either way" when he was treated in hospital for COVID last year, was later filmed rolling up his shirt sleeve and reciving his shot.

"Fantastic. Thank you so much," he said to the nurse, before receiving a badge that said "I've boosted my immunity".

"I've just had mine," he said afterwards. "We've done 18.6 million booster jabs in this country, so we're building ever higher the wall of protection, whatever Omicron may or may not be able to do."

(Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Michael Holden)