Flu and Covid-19 jabs: London to see pop up vaccination centres over winter to tackle twindemic

It’s the season for colds and flus, with many GP’s across the London area reaching out to those who qualify for a seasonal flu jab. These are also being rolled out alongside a Covid-19 booster jab, to ensure extra immunity during this especially cold time of year.

Now, NHS London has confirmed there will be a number of pop-up vaccination centres across the city, to ensure everyone who requires either the seasonal flu or Covid-19 booster jab has easier access to get them. These centres are not only free but also do not require any appointments in order to receive either dose of vaccine.

Alongside over 400 different sites where vaccinations can be administered in London including GPs and chemists, places of worship are opening their doors to allow even more people the opportunity to be jabbed this winter. The East London Mosque in north-east London, the Lewisham Islamic Centre in south-east London and Harlesden Methodist Church in north-west London are among places which have set up vaccination services to support their local communities.

People can also self-declare if they’re eligible for a Covid-19 jab and arrange a vaccination appointment via the National Booking Service. This service also allows for those entitled to the Covid-19 booster jab to rearrange any appointments should the hustle and bustle of Christmas get in the way.

Speaking about the new pop-up vaccination service, Newham-based GP Dr Farzana Hussain admitted that until attending a health fair at The East London Mosque a week ago that she was too busy to get her own jab. “I really enjoyed helping out at the women’s only area where women could have vaccines and get health advice in a safe space. As a Muslim and a doctor, it was great to see the fusion of faith and health as keeping healthy is a duty of every Muslim. We had a great turnout as it was Friday prayers.”

Senior Imam of the East London Mosque, Shaykh Mohammed Mahmoud, stressed the community to utilise these new pop up vaccination centres: “It’s important to encourage people in our community to get vaccinated, and it helps if it can be made easy and convenient, so we were pleased to host the pop-up vaccination service during our busy Friday prayer, in partnership with the NHS and Tower Hamlets Council.”

More information regarding the opening times and days for the pop-up vaccination centres can be found through the NHS’s Covid-19 vaccination page on their website.