Covid: Boris Johnson says getting a jab is an 'invaluable present'

Getting a Covid vaccine is a "wonderful thing" people can do for their families this Christmas, Boris Johnson has said in his annual seasonal message.

In a video clip, the prime minister said that getting the jab showed "that we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves".

He thanked those helping the vaccination campaign and healthcare staff working over the festive period.

Sir Keir Starmer has also praised NHS staff, in his own Christmas message.

In a video streamed on YouTube, the Labour leader said key workers had shown "Christian values of kindness" in "the darkest of times".

The latest official figures show 82% of people aged 12 and over in the UK have had two doses of a Covid vaccine, and 55% have had a booster.

Earlier this month, the government announced it was accelerating the booster campaign in England in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland doing the same.

Some 119,789 UK Covid cases were reported on Thursday - the highest figure since the pandemic began.

In his message, the prime minister said: "There is still a wonderful thing you can give your family and the whole country, and that is to get that jab, whether it is your first or second, or your booster."

He described the Covid vaccine as "an invisible and invaluable present."

In his message, Mr Johnson said the festive period would be "significantly better than the last", when indoor gatherings were heavily restricted across the UK.

"And if the pile of scrumpled wrapping paper is bigger this year it is precisely because across the country, in the run-up to Christmas, we have been giving each other an invisible and invaluable present," he added.

"We have been getting that vaccination that protects us and stops us infecting others.

"And I hope I can be forgiven for taking pride in the immense spirit of neighbourliness that the people of this country have shown.

"Getting jabbed not just for themselves, for ourselves, but for friends and family and everyone we meet.

"And that, after all, is the teaching of Jesus Christ, whose birth is at the heart of this enormous festival - that we should love our neighbours as we love ourselves."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also urged people to get boosted in her Christmas message, saying the vaccination campaign had been a "a source of brightness during a really difficult month".

She said getting jabbed was a way to show compassion and solidarity - and also thanked those working in the NHS and care homes on Christmas Day.

Sir Keir Starmer said communities had come together in adversity this year.

In his message, he added that this Christmas, like last year's, had been "incredibly difficult for our country".

He thanked members of the armed forces, NHS and key workers, saying: "Communities have come together to help one another."

"For too many, there will be one less chair at the table for the Christmas meal," Sir Keir added.

"But, in the darkest of times, Christian values of kindness, of compassion and hope have shone through."

The prime minister rarely talks about religion, but his comments linking vaccination to Christian values echo recent remarks by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Speaking to ITV earlier this week, Justin Welby said he agreed that for those who are eligible, deciding to get vaccinated was a moral issue.

"It's not about me and my rights to choose - it's about how I love my neighbour," he said.

Pope Francis has also encouraged Catholics and others to get jabbed for the "common good".

The 85-year-old pontiff, who is vaccinated himself, has previously said he does not know how to explain vaccine hesitancy among some cardinals.