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People aged 18 and over in north east London are being urged to come forward to get vaccinated against Covid-19, after thousands had their first jab at an NHS event in Stratford.

Organisers hailed “an outstanding collective effort” after the mass vaccination clinic at the London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday (19 June).

The clinic ran from 10am to 8pm and was open to anyone aged 18 and over living in Barking and Dagenham, City of London, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest, who had not received their first Covid-19 jab, with people invited to pre-book.

Dr Jagan John, Chair of NHS North East London Clinical Commissioning Group, said:

“It was a fantastic turnout and our teams did an amazing job – to deliver so many vaccine doses on the day was an outstanding collective effort and is testament to the tireless hard work of our staff and volunteers.

“I’m immensely grateful to everyone involved in making this event such a success, including our local partners whose support has been invaluable, and the management and staff at the London Stadium who gave up their time and facilities to help the NHS.

“Every vaccination delivered represents another positive step forward in protecting our communities, saving thousands of lives and giving the entire country hope for a brighter future.

“We are now delivering a final push to vaccinate everyone aged 18 and over so please come forward to make your first appointment or to get your second dose.”

Saturday’ s event formed part of the work being done by the NHS and its partners to encourage people to come forward for one of the safe, effective Covid-19 vaccines, increase vaccination uptake within all communities in north east London and ensure that no one is left behind. Vaccinations were led by a clinical team from East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT).

Dr Paul Gilluley, Chief Medical Officer at ELFT said: “It was a great day for east London, with many thousands of young people from across our boroughs getting their first vaccine but the journey isn’t over yet. Variants of the Covid-19 virus are still spreading. I strongly urge anyone who hasn’t get booked a vaccine to go online and do it without delay.”

Graham Gilmore, CEO, London Stadium, said: “It was the brilliant collaborative effort between NHS partners, local London boroughs, an army of volunteers and our Stadium team which made Saturday’s event such a success.

“It was heartening to see so many young people in this community wait patiently to get the vaccine, knowing that they are doing their bit to make us all safer and help us return to normal life.”

Karren Brady, West Ham United’s vice-chairman, said: “It was great to see so many people from our local communities getting their vaccination at London Stadium on Saturday.

“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the local NHS trusts which will see us continue to proudly support in line with their requests, including volunteering, shirts, special experiences for staff, patients and their families, morale-boosting messages and playing key roles in awareness campaigns and appeals.

“The mass events at stadiums across the capital this weekend was another example of football playing its part to keep our families and communities safe during the global pandemic. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the local NHS trusts and doing all we can to help the national effort and getting the country back doing all the things we love.”

Among those having their first jab on Saturday was Bimini Bon Boulash, runner-up in the BBC show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, who lives in east London.

After having her jab, she said: “If you’re 18 or over, get vaccinated – and let’s get back to normal.”

Among the vaccination clinics in north east London this weekend are:

• A ‘Big Pfizer Saturday’ event on Saturday at the Sir Lugwig Guttman Health Centre at 40 Liberty Bridge Road, Stratford E20 1AS. It runs from 8.20am to 7.40pm. Full booking details are available at https://www.newham.gov.uk/bookyourvaccine

• A walk-in clinic at Broadway Theatre, Barking on Sunday from 10am to 4pm. It is open to anyone aged 18-plus for first or second Pfizer jabs, and second AstraZeneca jabs. No proof of address, immigration status, or NHS number is required – just proof of age (driving licence/passport).

• A Pfizer-only walk-in clinic at Hornchurch Library (in North Street RM11 1TB) on Saturday from 12.30pm to 6.30pm and Sunday from 8.30am to 6.30pm. ID is not essential but people will need to provide a name, date of birth, and postcode. An NHS number will also be useful, but is not essential.

• A Pfizer-only walk-in clinic for people aged 18-39 needing their first dose at Raphael House, Victoria Centre, Pettits Lane, Romford RM1 4HP tomorrow (Thurs, June 24) from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm, and on Saturday from 10am to 5pm. ID is not essential but people will need to provide a name, date of birth, and postcode. An NHS number will also be useful, but is not essential.

• A vaccination clinic for the local Bangladeshi community in Hackney from 12pm to 4pm on Sunday at Morningside Community Centre, Cresset Road E9 6SJ. It is open to anyone aged 18-plus living in Hackney or the City of London. Translators will be on hand. You can pre-book by calling 07519 715039 or turn up on the day.

• In Tower Hamlets, vaccination clinics are being held seven days a week from 8.30am to 5.30pm at The Art Pavilion in Clinton Road, Mile End, London E3 4QY. Everyone aged 18-plus is welcome, with or without documentation, including migrants and those who are homeless.

Covid-19 vaccinations are available at more than 50 sites across north east London, including local pharmacies, and appointments can be booked via the National Booking Site. For more information, visit: https://www.eastlondonhcp.nhs.uk/ourplans/covid-19-vaccination-programme.htm