Johnson wants world vaccinated by end of 2022 as part of global lockdown escape plan

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set the G7 the target of having the world vaccinated by the end of 2022 (Matt Dunham/PA)

Boris Johnson will urge G7 leaders to “defeat Covid” by vaccinating the world by the end of next year, as he pushes for a global watch system to catch new variants before they can plunge countries back into lockdown.

The British Prime Minister is set to stress the importance of the global vaccine programme when he meets with world leaders – including US President Joe Biden – on Friday in Cornwall for the first face-to-face G7 meeting since the pandemic hit.