First Minister Mark Drakeford will tonight set out Wales’ aim to offer all eligible adults an appointment for a booster vaccine by the end of December.
Urgent plans are being put in place to further accelerate the booster programme as new evidence has emerged showing two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine are not enough to offer protection against the new omicron variant.
Welsh Government said the booster dose is vital in improving protection against the fast-moving variant.
Last night 海角视频 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said every eligible adult in England will get the "chance to get their booster before the New Year" - although NHS England has since said it is promising to offer everyone a chance to book by the end of the year rather than actually deliver jabs to everyone.
Wales is currently neck and neck with England when it comes to the percentage of the eligible population given booster vaccines with 40.7% and 40.8% respectively.
Scotland has reached 45% of everyone aged over 12.
In a televised message to Wales at 7pm, the First Minister will say: “We must be prepared for omicron cases to rise quickly and very steeply – just as they have in other parts of the 海角视频.
“We are still learning about this new form of coronavirus. All the information we have tells us we are facing a very serious situation. By the end of the month, omicron will have become the dominant form of the virus in Wales, bringing a new wave of infections and illness.
“This could then translate into a large number of people needing hospital treatment just at a time when the NHS is already under significant pressure. The Welsh Government will do everything we can to protect people’s health and keep Wales safe.
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“New evidence has emerged about the effectiveness of our vaccines against omicron. Two doses of the vaccine is simply not enough to give the level of protection against the infection we all need. We have already increased the speed of the roll-out of our booster programme. New clinics have been opened and operating hours extended. Urgent efforts are now underway to accelerate the programme even further so we can offer all eligible adults an appointment by the end of this year if possible.
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“Please make getting a booster a priority, as it is the single most important things you can do to protect yourself against coronavirus and this new variant.”
It comes as Public Health Wales today confirmed 15 new cases of Omicron variant in Wales that brings the country's total to 30 cases. Uk-wide more than 3,000 cases have been reported, up to December 12.
The First Minister will add: "None of us wanted to hear the news of a new omicron variant. After almost two long years of the pandemic, we had all hoped that we could put coronavirus behind us this Christmas. Unfortunately, we are once again facing a serious and worsening situation. But, we have faced challenges many times during this pandemic.
“We can once again pull together to look out for each other – for friends, family and neighbours – to protect each other and keep ourselves safe and well. We have already taken some steps to increase protections in Wales and we may need to take some further steps to keep Wales safe.”