COVID admissions plunged by half thanks to boosters, with 105,600 fewer hospital patients since mid-December.
Health chiefs estimate the third jab rollout has prevented 13,000 admissions per week over the past month-and-a-half.
1
The NHS scrambled out the lifesaving vaccine top-ups when Omicron reared its head over Christmas.
There have been an average of 12,031 patients admitted to hospital each week since December 13, with 10,197 in the past seven days.
The figure could have been twice as high without the booster jabs.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “This is further strong evidence of the vital protection being provided by the booster vaccine during this Omicron wave.
“Its introduction has and continues to prevent thousands of people from becoming seriously unwell, alleviating pressure on the NHS.
“The boosters remain vitally important as we continue to experience high levels of Covid-19, so I would encourage anyone who has not yet come forward to do so as soon as possible.”
Third jabs prevented 4,000 admissions in people aged 25 to 44, 14,300 in 45 to 64-year-olds and 87,300 in over-65s, UKHSA said.
A total of 37.6 million Brits have had their booster vaccine dose – two thirds of everyone who is eligible – and another 11 million are double-jabbed.
The jabs have kept Covid on the back foot and mean ministers are set to this month lift all remaining restrictions including self-isolation.
Cases were yesterday down by a quarter compared to last Thursday, with 66,638, and deaths fell by a third to 206.
There are 10,734 virus patients in England’s hospitals, a fall of 14 per cent compared to a week ago.
UKHSA’s Dr Colin Brown said: “We continue to see promising signs across the board, with infections and hospitalisations declining.”
The UKHSA said it has hit a milestone of testing two million positive swabs for Covid variants, making it the world leader.