COVID vaccines are being doled out at London’s Heaven nightclub in a bid to get youngsters jabbed.
More than 1,000 Pfizer doses will be administered at the venue until 9pm tonight.
The pop-up centre will also have a small number of AstraZeneca doses available for those due their second jab.
Photos from outside the iconic gay club show visitors lining up to get protected.
London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé said nightclubs had “always been part of the Covid solution” and the event would give people aged 18 and over the opportunity to have their first or second dose.
Heaven owner Jeremy Joseph said people can simply turn up or book an appointment.
A similar clinic aimed at younger people opened at Thorpe Park last month, while pop-up centres at football stadiums across London hoped to encourage those aged 18 to 29 to come forward.
Ministry of Sound is joining the pro-vaccine messaging, with the venue set to host its own clinic.
And doctor turned DJ Bodalia also highlighted the importance of younger adults getting vaccinated to keep the nightclub industry open.
GRAB A JAB
He said: “As a doctor and a DJ, I want everyone to enjoy themselves as safely as possible now that clubs and music events are back.
“If you haven’t got round to getting the vaccine yet, now really is the time to come forward and book in for your first and second dose.”
Lohan Presencer, executive chairman of Ministry of Sound said: “It’s incredible to welcome people back on to our dance floor after so long.
“We’ll provide the music and the good times, people just need to get both their vaccines so we can all keep dancing together safely.”
And Health Secretary Sajid Javid described getting jabbed as “one of the most important things you will ever be asked to do”.
“Get it to protect your loved ones and to make sure you can return to creating those special moments,” he added.
The push comes as the government launches its ‘Don’t Miss Out’ and ‘Get Your Shot’ campaign, urging vaccine uptake in hesitant young people.
Messages will be broadcast across social media and radio stations to “help people get back to doing the things they love such as going travelling and going to big events such as clubbing”.
From next month, revellers will be required to have had two jabs to enter nightclubs and other mass events.
More than two thirds of Brits aged 18 to 29 have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
But data from the Office for National Statistics shows 13 per cent of people between the ages of 16 and 29 are still hesitant about the jab – the highest proportion of any age group.
And alarmingly a fifth of people being admitted to hospital with Covid are now under 35, according to the new head of NHS England.
So in a bid to encourage uptake, centres have been told to be “more reasonable” when it comes to the gap between doses.
‘DON’T MISS OUT’
Many are quietly bending the rules to offer second jabs well before the official eight to 12-week gap so people can escape on an overseas summer holiday without having to quarantine on their return.
This is particularly important for those aged 18 to 29, some of whom only received their first dose in June and so the prospect of a trip abroad seemed unlikely.
Under the current traffic light rules, Brits travelling from amber list countries who have not had both vaccines have to quarantine for 10 days and pay for PCR tests on days two and eight, as well as a test before they land.
Those who are double jabbed only have to provide negative tests before they return and on day two.
And some countries require two jabs to enter – so receiving both makes travel significantly cheaper and offers more destinations to choose from.
Elsewhere today, huge queues formed outside a vaccination centre in south east London.
Young people braved the rain to go to the walk-in clinic in Greenwich Park.
The government is gearing up to recommend 16 and 17-year-olds book their first vaccine in the coming weeks.
