A MILLION Covid vaccines were booked over weekend in 'summer sprint'

Come on you jabs! A MILLION Covid vaccines were booked over the weekend in ‘summer sprint’ to get all over-18s covered… as thousands queued outside Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium to receive their shot

  • One million jabs were booked at weekend as officials launched a ‘summer sprint’
  • Officials hope to vaccinate all over-18s by July 19 to halt spread of Indian variant
  • Pop-ups were set up at sporting venues including Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium 

One million jabs were booked over the weekend as officials launched a ‘summer sprint’ to vaccinate all over-18s by July 19.

Thousands queued in the rain for jabs at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London yesterday after the football club turned into a walk-in vaccine clinic for the day. Most of those getting vaccinated were in their late teens or 20s.

Officials are in a race to vaccinate younger adults in a bid to halt the spread of the Indian variant and stop students bringing Covid-19 back home over the summer holidays, potentially infecting older generations. 

Cases are currently highest among people in their 20s and infections are five times higher in under-25s than in over-65s, as almost all older adults have received both doses.

Thousands queued in the rain for jabs at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in London yesterday (pictured) as officials launched a ‘summer sprint’ to vaccinate all over-18s by July 19 

Officials are in a race to vaccinate younger adults in a bid to halt the spread of the Indian variant. Pictured: People queue at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

Cases are currently highest among people in their 20s. Pictured: Woman gets Covid-19 vaccine at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday

Humphrey Vocadlo, 20, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

Everyone aged 18 and over is being urged to arrange a jab if they have not yet had one, as the health service enters the final push to protect the country against the virus. 

Public Health England said there has been a 79 per cent rise in one week in cases of the Delta variant, first identified in India, with the increase being driven by younger age groups.

Similar pop-up centres to the one at Tottenham Hotspur were set up on Saturday at sporting venues in London and giant jab clinics were also opened at the Olympic Stadium, Stamford Bridge, Charlton Athletic FC, Selhurst Park and Crystal Palace Athletics Centre.  

There were also pop up clinics at universities, such as in York and Canterbury.

The day before, the vaccine programme was thrown open to all over-18s and the NHS revealed that 1,008,472 jab appointments were booked on Friday and Saturday. 

Social media firms have signed up to a government plan to encourage younger people to get the Covid jab. Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube joined the scheme.

The success of the vaccination rollout is crucial if ‘Freedom Day’ can finally go ahead on July 19. 

 The Premier League club football club (pictured) turned into a walk-in vaccine clinic for the day. Most of those getting vaccinated were in their late teens or 20s

Covid infections are five times higher in under-25s than in over-65s, as almost all older adults have received both doses. Pictured: People queue at Tottenham Hotspur stadium 

Anna Solvalag, 18, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

The NHS revealed that 1,008,472 jab appointments were booked on Friday and Saturday. Pictured: People queue outside Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium to receive vaccine

Jia Tian, 40, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

About two-thirds of cases are in unvaccinated people, and just one in 13 infections are in those who have received both doses.

So far some 59.5 per cent of British adults have had two doses of a vaccine, while 81.6 per cent have had at least one dose.

Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England, yesterday said she hopes all over-40s – seven in ten of all adults – will be fully vaccinated when restrictions lift.

So far four in five adults have received one dose and three in five have had both vaccines.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said: ‘It is fantastic to see so many young people coming forward to do their bit in the battle against the virus, protecting themselves, their friends and their family. NHS staff are pulling out all the stops to get jabs in arms.’

Yesterday Professor Kevin Fenton, regional director at London Public Health England, said: ‘We’re just about entering into a final summer sprint, where we’re working with local authorities to get the rates up among everybody over the age of 18, but especially those aged over 40. That’s our number-one focus now.’

As people queue at Tottenham’s stadium (pictured), West Ham, Chelsea and Charlton Athletic are also hosting large-scale vaccination pop-up centres for adults aged over the age of 18

Maisie Ayres, 18, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

Government data up to June 18 showed that of the 73,766,593 jabs given in the UK so far, 42,679,268 were first doses – a rise of 218,636 on the previous day

The success of the vaccination rollout is crucial if ‘Freedom Day’ can finally go ahead on July 19. Pictured: queues at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium

Professor Fenton said it was unlikely the capital would have all over-30s double-vaccinated by July 19, but that it was vital they had been given one dose by then.

He said the PHE staff in London were ‘really dealing with hesitancy that people may have about getting vaccinated, it’s safety, or where to get it done’. 

The bookings surge came at the end of a week which had already seen almost 1.8 million appointments made in just three days, after the NHS vaccination programme opened up to people in their early twenties.

Some 692,299 appointments were made on Tuesday when 23 and 24-year-olds became eligible for a jab, with another 635,478 booked on Wednesday when the programme was extended to those aged 21 and 22.

There were another 456,366 appointments made on Thursday, meaning more than 2.5 million appointments were booked in just four days since booking opened to under 25s on Tuesday. 

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: ‘This pandemic has been a challenge for everyone but the various restrictions have hit young people particularly hard.

‘That’s why it’s good news that Covid vaccinations are now open to all adults across the country, and already well over three million people in their twenties have now had their first jab.

‘So if you’re 18 and over and haven’t yet had yours, now’s the time. It’s the single easiest way to protect yourself, keep friends and family safe, and hopefully give us all our summer freedoms back.

Huge queues formed outside Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London to get vaccinated today as the vaccine programme was opened up to people aged 18 to 20 

A Tottenham fan receives a dose of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at a mass vaccination centre

People queue outside a mass vaccination centre for those aged 18 and over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London

‘Please encourage your friends and loved ones to do the same, as we’re now in the race to the finish line.

‘The more of us who are vaccinated, the safer we all are, and the sooner freedom can return.’

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘It’s incredible to see the enthusiasm young people are showing for vaccination across the country, and it is a testament to the fantastic work of the team in keeping as many people safe from Covid-19 as possible.

‘If you’ve yet to book your appointment, I urge you not to hesitate in getting your jab and securing this protection for yourself and your loved ones.’

Government data up to June 18 showed that of the 73,766,593 jabs given in the UK so far, 42,679,268 were first doses – a rise of 218,636 on the previous day.

Some 31,087,325 were second doses, an increase of 188,858.

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