More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Walk-in vaccine clinics open up in Kent today for all over 18s to receive their Covid jabs.
It comes as the NHS launches a 'Grab a Jab' campaign this weekend to encourage all adults yet to receive a dose – or those awaiting a second dose – to attend a centre.
Five centres will be taking patients from this morning without appointments for their first or second Pfizer jab.
Anyone aged over 18 will be able to turn up.
The following places are holding walk-in clinics:
For those unable to attend a walk-in clinic, bookings can be made via the national booking system on the NHS website.
Another four centres are open for second AstraZeneca jabs only:
Patients awaiting their second dose will be able to arrive without booking.
Current advice is for second jabs to take place a minimum of eight weeks after receiving the first dose and to have the same jab as you received first time around.
Hundreds of venues across the country are opening their doors as the push to vaccinate all adults enters its final stages.
Sports stadia including Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Watford's Vicarage Road, Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham and the home of Newcastle Eagles basketball will all be hosting clinics.
More than 63 million jabs have been issued across England so far with a third of those aged 18-24 jabbed since the booking system opened up to the final cohort last week.
Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: "We're now in a race to the finish line. It's now easier than ever to get your life-saving jab, and the more of us who are vaccinated the safer and freer we all will be.
"So this weekend why not join millions of others and 'GrabAJab' to take advantage of this life-saving protection."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are throwing open the doors of hundreds of vaccine centres across the country this weekend so anyone can just show up. I urge anyone who has yet to take up the offer to head to their nearest walk in centre this weekend and get the life saving jab.
"It’s becoming clearer all the time how effective our vaccines are in protecting against the Delta variant and with three in five people double vaccinated we’re well on our way to the whole country getting the fullest possible protection."
"We're now in a race to the finish line and it's now easier than ever to get your life-saving jab..."
Dr Emily Lawson, who is leading the NHS vaccination programme in England, said: "If you haven’t yet got vaccinated for whatever reason, this is the weekend to get that sorted and join the tens of millions who have protected themselves and their loved ones from the virus.
"Please bring forward your second jab if it’s eight weeks or more since your first, when contacted to do so by the NHS, so that you get the maximum protection offered by the vaccines.”
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi revealed this week six bookings were being made every second since the latest release of appointments.
He added: “Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and, thanks to our NHS and the British public, they are already saving thousands of lives."
