This is the Guardian. We're just one week away from Christmas.

And on Sunday night, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

gave us some bad news about the omicron variant.

Earlier today, the UK's four chief medical officers raised the COVID alert level to fall,

its second highest level.

Because of the evidence that Omicron is doubling here in the UK every two to three days.

And we know from bitter experience how these exponential curves develop.

In the face of rapidly rising cases, he announced that all adults are being offered a boost of vaccination by the end of December.

Do not make the mistake of thinking Omicron can't hurt you, can't make you and your loved

ones seriously ill.

By Monday morning, the NHS website for booking booster appointments was already experiencing difficulties

as vast numbers of people logged on to schedule their vaccinations

and there were huge cues across the country at walk-in centers. I went on to the

website and it kept taking me through all of the steps and then it would get to finding somewhere locally and I would click on it and then it would take me back to the beginning.

And then eventually I just thought I'll go to a drop-in.

But as we race to get jabbed, the O'Macron variant is spreading fast.

Models have predicted a... Fast. now died after being infected with the new variant, there's a very big question, will

the boosters be enough?

From the Guardian, I'm Madeline Finley and this is Science Weekly.

For an update on what we know so far about Omicron and how much difference the boosters could make,

I got Guardian Science Editor Ian Sample on the line.

Ian, how are you this morning? I'm fine. Good, we certainly haven't got a

...