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A huge queue has formed outside a health center in Harrow, London, which offers shots to people aged 18 and over.

Belmont Health Center in Stanmore, Harrow, is open on Saturday to those over 18 who are still awaiting their first vaccine and who live or work in Harrow.

The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is given throughout the day at the walk-in clinic and people do not need to be registered with the practice to be vaccinated.

A queue of people waiting for vaccines outside Belmont Health Center in Harrow, London Photograph: Jonathan Brady / PA

National eligibility criteria in England state that only people aged 30 and over are invited for their first jab, and it is understood that health officials are keen to prioritize this cohort in Harrow over groups. of younger age, reports the PA news agency.

But the poster for the walk-in center made it clear that people 18 and older can come, and the majority of those waiting appeared to be in their 20s.

By mid-morning, a huge queue had formed in the health center area, the queue winding around a parking lot and stretching out into the street.

People are lining up for the first dose of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Photograph: Jonathan Brady / PA

Among them were 20-year-old students Jamie Lesser and Daniel simmons which arrived around 8:15 am.

Lesser said it would be a relief to get the hang of it, telling the PA News Agency: “If all the plans come to fruition, the clubs are going to open in three weeks and we both have plans to go out. “

He said he planned to go clubbing for “about five days in a row” if nightclubs open, “making up for the past year and a half.”

Lesser said he found out about Saturday’s presence through friends in a group chat who passed on information about it.

The queue for vaccines winds around a parking lot and stretches out into the street — The queue for vaccines winds around a parking lot and stretches out onto the street. Photograph: Jonathan Brady / PA

He said:

To be fair, we weren’t planning on giving up all Saturday. We were going to go to the gym quite early… We thought we would arrive very early to avoid the queue, which was not very successful.

Simmons said as soon as he saw the chance to get the jab he thought he would “jump on it,” adding, “I really want to get it ASAP.”

Stand in line for his jab, Chand Shah, a 25-year-old accountant, said the walk-in center had received “strong publicity” and he thought it a “good idea” to get the vaccine before a possible new one. restrictions eased on June 21.

When asked if he expected to get his vaccine so soon, he replied, “No. I expected August to be honest.

Shah added, “I think if you get the vaccine you feel more secure. “