Boris Johnson urged everyone eligible to get the coronavirus jab on a visit to the London Business Design Centre’s vaccination hub in Upper Street today (May 18).

Amid fears the Indian variant could fuel a third wave in the UK, the Prime Minster said everything was being kept under "very close observation".

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Mr Johnson spoke at the vaccination centre in Angel run by University College London Hospital (UCLH), which has the capacity to vaccinate about 2,000 people daily.

Islington Gazette: Boris Johnson at the vaccination centre at the Business Design Centre in Islington, where he urged everyone to get the jabBoris Johnson at the vaccination centre at the Business Design Centre in Islington, where he urged everyone to get the jab (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

He said: "We are looking at the epidemiology the whole time as it comes in and, at the moment, partly because we have built up such a wall of defences with the vaccination programme, I don't see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate from the road map.

"But we've got to be cautious and we are keeping everything under very close observation.

"We'll know a lot more in a few days' time."

Islington Gazette: Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting the vaccination hub at the Business Design Centre in Islington, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in EnglandPrime Minister Boris Johnson visiting the vaccination hub at the Business Design Centre in Islington, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

He added: "I want to thank everybody in this country who is coming forward to get vaccinated.

"This country is quite extraordinary. There was a poll last night which shows that out of all the countries in the world we are the most positive about vaccinations.

"The numbers are incredibly high and I know that some people have been more vaccine hesitant than others, but across the whole of society the numbers continue to go up in every age group and that's very encouraging.

"I'm going to urge everybody who is eligible for a vaccine, when you get your notification from the NHS, come and get your jab.

Invitations are now going out to 37-year-olds to get the first dose.

Today a Cabinet minister admitted that the June 21 final easing of restrictions could be delayed and local lockdowns imposed.

Islington Gazette: Boris Johnson at the Business Design Centre NHS vaccination hub in IslingtonBoris Johnson at the Business Design Centre NHS vaccination hub in Islington (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Mr Johnson paid tribute to the efforts of the different teams involved in the vaccination effort and met people being vaccinated and vaccinators, including Kelly Ncube, a lecturer from Middlesex University who is training vaccinators.

He was also shown round by assistant chief nurse Betty Wynne, the vaccination programme lead at UCLH.

She said: “I am extremely proud of the north central London vaccination programme and UCLH’s role within it. It was a pleasure to showcase our services to the Prime Minister."