the numbers receiving a third dose have been going up, but we have not yet seen that surge in jabs the government is talking about. it is thought the full accelerated roll—out might only start from next week in england and other parts of the uk. the booster programme is the fastest in europe and i think we have done more boosters than any comparable country. that doesn't mean it couldn't go faster. i mean, we are ahead of our own timetable. there is still a lot we don't know about omicron. scientists, though, are increasingly confident it can spread faster than the existing delta version of the virus. clearly, omicron has demonstrated an ability to spread rapidly within a delta context and within a highly vaccinated context, particularly in gatherings where covid—19 likes to spread anyway, so christmas parties, workplace gatherings, conferences. new travel rules come into force today in an effort to slow