Adults in England will be able to get a Covid-19 vaccine without an appointment at hundreds of walk-in sites across the country this weekend amid rising Delta variant cases.
Those aged 18 and over can turn up at the NHS drop-in sites in the “grab a jab” campaign, which include football stadiums, theatres, supermarket car parks and shopping centres.
The vaccine hubs are open to people having their first dose but can also provide second jabs for the over-40s who had their first at least eight weeks ago, or at least 12 weeks ago for the under-40s.
Details of the walk-in clinics are available on the NHS website.
Among the sports grounds involved in the initiative are the Newcastle Eagles basketball arena, Watford’s Vicarage Road, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and Edgbaston cricket ground.
People who get a vaccine at the Emirates in north London between now and Monday are being offered a free tour of the Arsenal stadium as part of their visit.
Organisers said they hoped to get “even more people down there than were at Spurs’ stadium”.
In addition to mass vaccination centres, there will be buses offering jabs in Dudley, Colchester, Ipswich and several other towns.
Latest government figures show that 43.87 million people – 83.3% of the adult population – have received a first dose of a coronavirus jab and 32 million have had two doses.
The NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, said: “With more than 63m jabs already delivered by the NHS in England, we’re now in a race to the finish line, and with this new online service, it is easier than ever to find a convenient place to get your vaccine.
“With every jab, we are one step closer to our summer freedoms.”
The government aims to have offered a first dose to all adults by 19 July and at least 65% of adults fully vaccinated, the date when the final stage of lockdown easing is scheduled to go ahead having been postponed from 21 June.
The 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.
“So I’d urge everyone not yet fully vaccinated aged 18 and over to get your first and second doses as soon as possible to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
