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Britain's booster jab campaign is off to a storming start with a record 611,000 Covid jabs being given out in a single day yesterday.

NHS chiefs say staff worked through a record high of 548,039 booster vaccines on Tuesday, alongside more than 60,000 first and second doses. The booster figure smashes the previous one-day record for vaccine top-ups of 483,361 - set on December 11. 

However the figure still falls well below Boris Johnson's one million doses-a-day target needed to tackle what he described as a 'tidal wave of Omicron'.  NHS chiefs say staff are 'pulling out all the stops' to accelerate the vaccine programme.

It comes as queues again formed before dawn outside vaccination centres this morning with all adults in England now being offered a Covid-19 booster from today after the NHS national booking system opened up to all over 18s.

Some vaccination centres had to stop offering walk-in boosters yesterday amid limited supply, with a volunteer-led hub in Andover, Hampshire, saying it was only able to offer first and second Pfizer vaccine doses. 

In more good news, yesterday also saw more than 630,000 booster jabs booked through the online booking service - the highest number for any Tuesday on record. Of those, 150,000 booster bookings were made before 9am this morning. 

Dr Emily Lawson, director of the NHS covid-19 vaccination programme, said: 'NHS staff are once again pulling out all the stops to accelerate the NHS covid-19 vaccination programme, the biggest and most successful in health service history, and these figures show just how hard we are all working to get lifesaving jabs in arms.

'We need everyone to play their part in the national mission to protect the country and the public can help by booking their jab online to avoid disappointment - just like 630,000 people did yesterday.

'The data clearly shows that getting boosted gives maximum protection against the new variant so please book your slot online as soon as possible and guarantee your vital jab."

Meanwhile, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'A record 548,039 booster vaccines were administered yesterday as we ramp up our vaccination programme and bolster our defences against the virus.

'Thank you to everyone playing their part - from the 24 million people who have come forward to get boosted now, to the wonderful NHS and vaccine volunteers getting jabs in arms.

'This is a national mission and we want to stay ahead in the race with this virus, so roll up your sleeves and get protected.'

It comes as thousands lined up to get their booster at vaccination points across the country today. The first people to join the line at St Thomas' Hospital in London arrived at 6.14am despite the centre not opening until 8am - with the NHS racing to boost Britons as it tries to head off a 'tidal wave' of Omicron cases. 

People are eligible for a booster three months after their second vaccine but they can book after two months, and today marks the NHS meeting its objective of offering every eligible adult a chance to book one before 2022.  

Britons queue up in a line outside St Thomas's Hospital in London this morning for their Covid-19 booster jabs 

People queue outside a Covid-19 vaccination centre at the Science Museum in Kensington, West London, this morning

People queue at a vaccination centre at Chester Cathedral today as the booster vaccination programme is ramped up

Large numbers of people in Newcastle city centre form a long queue as they wait for their coronavirus booster jab today