Pop-up clinics in North Yorkshire will offer COVID vaccination jabs without appointment

A number of walk-in COVID vaccination clinics will be available in North Yorkshire this week, to allow people to “pop in at their convenience, without needing to make an appointment”.

• Central Dales Pharmacy, Hawes: Tuesday 13 July to Saturday 17 July, 1pm to 5pm – first dose Pfizer clinics for anyone aged 18 and over; the clinic is expected to run every week until first week of August or until stocks last
• Day Lewis Pharmacy Clinic at White Rose House, Northallerton Business Park, Thurston Road: Wednesday 14 July, 9am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4.30pm – Moderna vaccinations for anyone aged 18 and over who has yet to receive their first jab and those who need their second dose
• Wesley Centre, Oxford Street, Harrogate: Saturday 17 July, 10am to 4pm – first dose Pfizer clinic for anyone aged 18 and over
• Bishopside and Bewerley Memorial Hall, Park Road, Pateley Bridge: Saturday 17 July, 8am to 5.50pm – Pfizer Covid vaccination clinic, first and second doses for those aged 18 and over
• Homecare Pharmacy Vaccination Centre, former Lidl site, York Road, Knaresborough: Saturday 17 July and Sunday 18 July, 9am to 5pm – first dose Moderna clinics for anyone aged 18 and over

The NHS in North Yorkshire, together with local authority partners, hope young adults – as well as care workers and those in the over 50s who may not yet have taken up the opportunity to be vaccinated – come forward.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Chief Nurse, Sue Peckitt, said: “These walk-in clinics are aimed at those people who have not taken up the opportunity to book their vaccine via the NHS National Booking Service or NHS 119.

“With many COVID restrictions set to be lifted on 19 July, it’s important we create a strong vaccine wall of resistance to help keep coronavirus transmission rates as low as possible, protect those who are most susceptible to suffering serious illness and reduce the impact on hospitals and other healthcare settings.”

North Yorkshire’s director of Public Health, Louise Wallace, said: “Vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the risk of developing serious or life-threatening symptoms from coronavirus, as well as protecting others in the community.

“The vaccination programme in this country has been a huge success and the numbers of people becoming seriously ill, or dying, as a result of contracting the disease have fallen dramatically.

“That is why it is important for those who have not yet had a jab to do so and the walk-in clinics have been organised to make that as convenient as possible.”

The delta variant of coronavirus is more easily transmitted than earlier forms of the illness, meaning vaccination is increasingly important as infection levels rise.

North Yorkshire’s infection rate is currently above the England average and numbers are up significantly across the county, particularly among younger adults.

The rise in infection rates nationally has been followed by an increase in numbers admitted to hospital with younger people among those affected. People of all ages are also susceptible to long Covid, where symptoms last over an extended period.

A further benefit to vaccination is that from August 16 those who are fully vaccinated and returning from amber list countries will no longer automatically have to self-isolate, bringing potential advantages for holidaymakers.