Clubbers getting in the groove with jabs

The National Health Service has set up COVID-19 vaccine centers at entertainment venues including nightclubs and amusement parks in the United Kingdom, in a bid to prop up flagging inoculation rates among young people.

The centers are part of the UK’s “Grab a Jab” drive, which is primarily aimed at raising vaccine rates among young people.

“People can grab-a-jab when they pop into Primark or while sunbathing in the park,” said the NHS in a statement.

Heaven, an iconic nightclub located in central London, will host a pop-up vaccine site on Sunday, confirmed its owner Jeremy Joseph on Twitter. “Protect yourself, protect others,” he said.

So whether you are queuing for the Colossus or staffing the ice cream kiosk, we are making getting a jab as easy as possible.”

NHS employees will administer Pfizer vaccine jabs to people who have yet to receive their first vaccination at the venue, where the majority who turn up will be young adults.

The NHS has opened pop-up vaccine centers at a variety of popular locations, including the Primark clothing store in Bristol and the Tate Modern museum in London, where DJ Zoe London performed a set.

Temporary vaccine centers have also opened at green spaces across London, as well as at large events.

Last week, the NHS announced the opening of a vaccine center at Thorpe Park, one of the UK’s most visited amusement parks. The park employs a large number of young seasonal workers.

“We know that people, and particularly young people, are leading busier lives,” said Nikki Kanani, deputy senior officer for the NHS COVID-19 vaccination program. “So whether you are queuing for the Colossus or staffing the ice cream kiosk, we are making getting a jab as easy as possible.”

Health authorities are concerned that low vaccination rates among the young will contribute to the continued spread of the virus, especially since many social distancing and lockdown measures were dropped last month.

Two-thirds of 18- to 24-year-olds in the UK have received their first COVID-19 vaccine. An Office for National Statistics survey found that 9.5 percent of 18- to 25-yearolds in the UK are hesitant about getting vaccinated, compared to 4 percent of adults of all ages. The fact that the risk of severe disease from COVID-19 is relatively low in younger people may also play a role in lower uptake.

Pippa Nightingale, chief nursing officer at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, said activity at west London vaccine centers plummeted in midJuly, when several sites were operating at just 30 percent capacity.

“We’ve got staff there, we’ve got vaccines there, but we are really struggling,” said Nightingale to an NHS health overview committee.

Nightingale encouraged young people who are “sitting on the fence thinking they’re invincible” to come forward and get the jab. She backed the opening of vaccine centers at entertainment venues, saying that young adults might prefer “more of a festival event” when looking to be vaccinated.

Nikki Kanani, deputy senior officer for the NHS COVID-19 vaccination program