Covid jabs will be on the bill as the NHS vaccination programme,
the biggest and most successful in health service history, sets
up camp at Reading and Leeds Festivals this weekend.
The Bank Holiday initiative means music fans at the split site
event will be able to pick up a jab as easily as a beer or a
burger.
It comes as new figures show more than half a million 16 and 17
year olds in England have now had their jab.
Fans pitching up to see headliners Stormzy, Post Malone and Liam
Gallagher can watch their favourite acts then rock up to get
their jab at pop-up clinics on site available throughout the
weekend including a vaccine bus at Reading.
The country’s top GP, Dr Nikki Kanani, urged the hundreds of
thousands music fans attending the events to protect themselves
and others by adding the ‘vaccine tent’ to their festival
itinerary if they have not already been jabbed.
Both sites will offer the opportunity to speak to health
professionals who will be able to answer any questions or
concerns. Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not
be given the vaccine.
Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and Deputy Lead for NHS England’s
vaccination programme, said:
“Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and volunteers more than
half a million young people aged 16 and 17 have had their first
dose as teams across the country have worked tirelessly to get
their communities protected, vaccinating at convenient pop up
clinics in the park, at places of worship and stadiums and now at
Reading and Leeds.
“It is great to see the return of live music and performances,
and as festival goers head to the main stage this weekend to see
their favourite headliners, I am also urging anyone who hasn’t to
add the ‘vaccine tent’ to their festival itinerary to get that
lifesaving vaccine as the best protection we can get from
coronavirus.”
The festival is the latest in the line-up of hundreds of walk-in
sites across the country to offer the lifesaving COVID vaccine as
part of the biggest and most successful vaccination drive in
health history.
Last week, the NHS sent more than one million texts to newly
eligible people aged 16 and 17 inviting them to grab a jab at
their nearest walk in centre via the NHS online
walk-in finder, following independent guidance from the JCVI
being updated at the start of August to include this age group.
Since the NHS administered the world first vaccine to Margaret
Keenan in December, NHS staff have delivered more than 75 million
vaccinations, including to half a million 16 and 17 year olds
with almost four in five adults now double vaccinated
The Reading vaccination clinic will also have a bus and will be
open 9:30am-5pm from the Thursday through to Sunday and 9am-1pm
on Monday, with a dedicated two-hour slot for festival staff on
Wednesday lunchtime and jabs for early arrivals in the afternoon.
The team will be located close to the yellow gate entrance.
The Leeds clinic will be open on the Thursday from 10am to 4pm
for festival goers to talk to health professionals about the
vaccination. The site will be offering jabs from 10am-4pm from
Friday through to Sunday, and from 8am-11am on Monday morning.
The team will be located next to the first aid & welfare
tents just across from the blue camping area.
Health and Social Care Secretary
said:
“Vaccines are saving lives and allowing us to regain the freedoms
we’ve been looking forward to over the last 18 months – from
visiting family abroad to festivals and gigs.
“It’s brilliant to see different sectors and industries stepping
up to help get the country vaccinated, making it’s easier than
ever to get your jab.
“Having a vaccine is one of the most important things you can do
to protect yourself and your loved ones and help us to get back
to normal so we can carry on doing the things we enjoy.”
Elsewhere in the country at over 2,000 sites, beachfronts, parks
and football stadiums have transformed into vaccination centres
as NHS staff and volunteers pull out all the stops to make it as
easy as possible to get vaccinated.
Anyone aged 16 and 17 can now find their nearest centre through
the ‘grab a jab’ NHS online
walk-in finder, with more sites becoming available every day.
The National
Booking Service (NBS) is currently open to anyone aged 18 or
over, and to people within three months of their 18th birthday.
