Expert: Jabs won't be enough to control virus in UK

A vaccine expert advising on the U.K.'s COVID-19 immunization rollout on Sunday warned that the vaccination programme alone is not enough to bring down infection rates in the UK.

Speaking to U.K. broadcaster Sky, Professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), advised against complacency and said the situation was "worsening".

He said that people should continue to test themselves, wear masks and avoid crowds in enclosed spaces otherwise there would be "a real meltdown in the middle of winter.

So far the U.K. government has encouraged people to get booster jabs when they are called to do so, as well as urging those not yet vaccinated to get their jabs.

However, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has so far ruled out the government's "plan B", which reinstates mask-wearing mandates, and brings in vaccine passports for businesses like bars and clubs.

Finn said that while vaccines are very effective at stopping people from getting seriously ill, they are not effective at stopping infections, which have continued to rise steadily in the U.K.