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This weekend, Freshney Place is playing host to one of a number of drop-in vaccination clinics across our town centres as people queue to join the thousands of local people protecting themselves against COVID.

More than 320 people walked into a clinic at Open Door in Grimsby last Saturday and rolled up their sleeves for their COVID vaccination pushing the totals to more than 53% of under 30s having had their first dose of the vaccine as part of a staggering 187,000 doses taken up locally.

If you are 18 or over, live in North East Lincolnshire and haven’t had your first jab yet, you can walk in to one of the clinics being held this weekend. There are also some clinics for walk in second doses, but you must wait eight weeks between doses, and may well be turned away if you haven’t had the required gap.

Friday 9 July

• St Aiden's Church and Community Centre, Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes: 9am to 11am (Pfizer - 1st vaccine only)
• St Peter's Church Hall, St Peter's Avenue, Cleethorpes: 1pm to 3pm (Pfizer 1st vaccine only) 
• Periville Pharmacy, Wingate Parade, Grimsby: 9.15am to 3pm (Over 40s - AZ first doses and 2nd doses (at least 8 weeks after 1st dose)

Saturday 10 July

• Freshney Place: 10am to 4pm, Opposite Boots, Freshney Place, Grimsby (Pfizer 1^st vaccine)
• Periville Pharmacy, Wingate Parade, Grimsby: 9.15am to 1pm (Over 40s - AZ first doses and 2nd doses (at least 8 weeks after 1st dose)
• Pilgrim Primary Care Centre, Immingham: 9am to 11 am, (Over 40s -  AZ 1st and 2nd doses (at least 8 weeks after 1st dose)

These are all drop-in clinics which you can attend without booking being organised all the time so keep an eye on www.northeastlincolnshireccg.nhs.uk/covid-19/ if these clinics are not suitable for you.

If you want to book your slot instead at one of NEL's 10 community vaccination sites, there are plenty of appointments available by visiting www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or ringing 119. 

Alongside everyone sticking to Hands, Face, Space, the COVID vaccination is helping us to move back towards normal life again. If enough people have the vaccination, fewer people will become seriously ill and need to go into hospital to be treated for COVID, putting less pressure on the NHS.

Additionally, you will also be prepared if you need to prove your vaccination status for travel or a large event in the future.

Getting vaccinated helps us to all carry on seeing our friends and family again and enjoying the activities that help to keep us mentally and physically healthy, as we start to return to normal life.

It is important to have your vaccination even if you have already had COVID because we do not know how long natural immunity lasts.

It’s also important to have your second jab 8 weeks after the first dose (this must currently be the same vaccine you had originally) as being fully vaccinated gives you the maximum protection.

Remember, the COVID vaccine has been tested in the same way as any other vaccine. It won’t affect your chances of getting pregnant and while there are some common, short-lived side effects such as a sore arm, a headache or tiredness for a few days, these are very mild compared to the common effects of catching the virus.

Catching COVID-19 can commonly cause the following symptoms, even in younger, healthy people:

• Cough for several weeks
• Struggling to breathe, which might even need hospital treatment
• Chronic tiredness for weeks or even months

You also have a much higher risk of getting serious lasting effects such as a blood clot if you get coronavirus than with any of the COVID vaccines including the AZ vaccine.