A new walk-in vaccination centre has opened in Kingston, as residents in South London are urged to get their second covid jab.

The Hawks Road Clinic is offering second does of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone aged 40 and over this week, and first doses to over-40s who have not had the vaccine .

The clinic's opening hours are 8am to 7:45pm and appointments do not need to be booked, but those going to get a vaccine do need to bring proof of age such as a driving licence or passport.

Anyone getting a second dose of the vaccine will also need to bring their vaccination card from the first dose appointment.

Under-40s can visit the clinic to discuss their vaccine options.

The centre will close on Sunday 20 June.

A leading South-West London GP has also urged people to get their second vaccination as soon as possible to give them maximum, long-lasting protection.

Dr Nicola Jones, Lead GP for the COVID-19 vaccination programme in South West London, said: "Getting fully vaccinated is the single most important step we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities against COVID-19, including the Delta variant first identified in India.

"The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine offers a high level of protection, but to get maximum and longer-lasting protection, that second jab is vital, so I would urge everyone who is eligible to get it as soon as possible.

"If you had your first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on or before mid-April, we're now inviting you to one of the walk-in clinics we've organised to make things quicker and easier for you – no appointment is needed.

"People who have been contacted to bring forward their second vaccine appointment are also asked to rebook as soon as possible."

This follows news yesterday (14 June) that the government is delaying the end of lockdown from 21 June to 19 July, to allow time for more people to be vaccinated against covid-19.

A recent rise in cases across the UK including in Kingston borough has been driven by the Delta variant which is estimated to be at least 40% more transmissable than other strains of the virus.

Data from a covid symptom tracker study shows that this variant is not associated with the familiar 'classic' covid symptoms of fever, cough and loss of smell or taste.

Instead, a headache, sore throat, runny nose and fever are the most common symptoms of an infection from this strain.

King's College London epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector who runs the Zoe Covid Symptom study told the Guardian yesterday (14 June) that covid is now "more like a bad cold."

"People might think they've just got some sort of seasonal cold, and they still go out to parties…we think this is fuelling a lot of the problem," he said.

"So, what's really important to realise is that since the start of May, we've been looking at the top symptoms in all the app users, and they're not the same as they were.

"So, the number one symptom is headache … followed by sore throat, runny nose and fever."

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