Darryl Chamberlain

Get a booster at The Valley this weekend – and help others get jabbed too

The Valley
The Valley will once again be a vaccination hub this weekend

Charlton Athletic’s stadium is becoming a vaccination clinic this weekend as demand soars for Covid-19 booster jabs.

Long queues have been seen outside hospitals and pharmacies this week after doses were made available to all adults in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.

The most high-profile vaccination centre in south-east London will be The Valley, which is one of a number of stadiums in the capital being turned over to the fight against coronavirus.

The Charlton pop-up clinic will be available from 8am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sunday. Booking via eventbrite.com is strongly recommended.

In the week to 10 December, 700 people in every 100,000 had tested positive for coronavirus in Greenwich – the highest rate since 16 January. In Lewisham, the figure was 712; in Bexley, it was 630.

Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe said: “It is vital that we do everything we can as a borough and a community to significantly increase the number of residents who get their booster and vaccinations as soon as possible.

“Our mass booster and vaccination event at The Valley this weekend is hugely important for our residents, businesses, staff and service providers and I’m urging everyone to get boosted and vaccinated.

“I’m also lending my support as a volunteer vaccinator and hope to see, and vaccinate, as many residents as possible this Sunday.”

Amal Pharmacy queue
Queues have built up this week at vaccination centres, including Amal Pharmacy on Greenwich Peninsula

The Valley is not the only location offering walk-in vaccinations – clinics operating throughout the week can now be found via a postcode search on the NHS website. They can also be found on the NHS SE London CCG website.

At present, in Greenwich borough these are the Woolwich Late Night Pharmacy in General Gordon Square, Amal Pharmacy in Greenwich Millennium Village, Plumstead Health Centre and First Care Pharmacy off Western Way, Thamesmead.

In neighbouring Lewisham, they include the Waldron Health Centre next to New Cross station, where music and entertainment has been put on for people queueing, and Lewisham Pharmacy on Lee High Road; while in Bexley, Belvedere Pharmacy in Picardy Street and Aspire Pharmacy on Sidcup High Street are accepting walk-ins.

Further afield, walk-in clinics are available at Guy’s Hospital, next to London Bridge station, and St Thomas’ Hospital, close to Waterloo. Walk-ups are now not being accepted at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich or Lewisham Hospital.

Volunteers are needed to help out at vaccination centres across Greenwich, Lewisham and Bexley over the coming weeks.

Volunteer Centre Greenwich says that sites in Woolwich, Thamesmead, Plumstead, Eltham and Deptford need vaccination marshals. To sign up, visit its website. To help in Lewisham, visit Lewisham Local; while Volunteer Centre Bexley is handling applications there.

You can also visit the NHS England website for details of how you can help.

St John Ambulance trained 20,000 vaccinators – including Thorpe – around the UK a year ago, and has asked those it trained to join the renewed effort. It is taking expressions of interest from those interested in getting trained in case more are needed – sign up on its website.

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