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London’s Premier League stadia to host vaccination clinics

The homes of London-based Premier League football clubs Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will all open their doors this weekend to host COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

All UK adults are now eligible for a COVID-19 jab and local residents still waiting to be vaccinated can book an appointment at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea, tomorrow (Saturday).

Chelsea has offered its home ground as a vaccination venue for Hammersmith & Fulham Council residents following dialogue between the NHS and the club, with the idea first suggested by Professor Julian Redhead, medical director at Imperial Healthcare.

The NHS will be based at the Bridge (pictured) from 10am to 7.30pm on Saturday offering 6,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for all those eligible.

People living in north east London are also being invited to have their first jab at an NHS vaccination clinic at London Stadium on Saturday. The event is being held from 10am to 8pm at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with pre-booking required.

Graham Gilmore, CEO of London Stadium, said: “We are proud to support the brilliant work of the NHS by making the Stadium available for the vaccine rollout in this part of London on Saturday.

“We are committed to helping our local community during this pandemic and hope that this is an opportunity for those waiting to get their first jab to do so safely in our venue, in the accessible surrounds of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host its second clinic on Sunday. Having staged its first event in April, the second mass vaccination clinic will be available for first and second jabs from 10am to 6pm.

Attendees can choose to pre-book or turn up on the day and will receive a 20% discount code on Stadium Tours and The Dare Skywalk. Tottenham club ambassadors Ledley King, Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles will also be present at the start of the day to welcome attendees.

Tottenham will be screening Sunday’s UEFA Euro 2020 games on concourse TVs. While the vaccine clinic takes place in the West Stand, on the other side of the stadium, the NFL Home Locker Room will host an event aimed at increasing blood donations to aid the treatment of sickle cell disease.

Members of the Black community, aged 17-66, who haven’t received a vaccine during the previous seven days, are being encouraged to book an appointment to attend and donate blood.

Image: Daniel/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size