A Government source said: “We’re looking at what we can do to massively expedite the booster programme. We are trying to get as many people a booster before Christmas as physically possible. It doesn’t solve everything but it obviously would slow things down.”

Extending the top up jabs to those 30 and over, which follows updated advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, means another 3.5 million people will be eligible from Monday with the rest of the 7.5 million people in that age range qualifying in the coming weeks.

Sajid Javid, the Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “The Covid-19 booster programme is accelerating rapidly and more than 22 million people in the UK have already received their top-up, securing vital protection ahead of Christmas.

“This is our national mission – the most recent data shows boosters are the essential defence against omicron and we are doing everything in our power to get jabs into arms as quickly as possible.

“We are now expanding the offer to over-30s – so please come forward as quickly as possible to get boosted and help our country get ahead in this race with the variant.”