The UK on Wednesday reported another 38,263 COVID-19 infections and a further 201 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government.

Those figures compare to 37,243 cases and 214 fatalities reported on Tuesday.

The total number of people to have tested positive in the UK to 9,675,058 while the number of deaths rose to 143,360.

However, the number of deaths registered in the UK where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate stands at 166,730.

Meanwhile, 31,431 people received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while 19,874 others received a second dose raising their respective totals to 50,645,981 and 46,065,838. 347,557 people received a booster/third dose raising the total to 13,494,890.

Health secretary Sajid Javid on Wednesday repeated calls for individuals eligible for the top-up jab to come forward.

Javid, himself, got his booster coronavirus vaccine at a pharmacy in central London.

"Vaccines remain our first form of defence against this horrid virus," he said.

Elsewhere, experts from the UK Health Security Agency said children aged 12 and over who have had COVID-19 should not get vaccinated against the virus until 12 weeks later.

This, they argued, could help to reduce the "very, very small" risk of heart inflammation after vaccination even further.

(With input from agencies)