We need 50,000 vaccine centres to beat the virus

EVEN the most optimistic medical professionals did not expect an approved vaccine before the new year. To have two is a dream come true. And to have a third approved on Friday is nothing short of a scientific miracle.

- Dr Charles Levinson

It would be easy to take that for granted, but after months and months of fighting a losing battle, we finally have our silver bullet.

Oxford’s vaccine is the route out of this mess.

It’s far cheaper than others, can be easily transported and we know it’s effective enough to drastically reduce the severity of this disease.

Ignore those who say restrictions will continue for years, even with a successful vaccine rollout. The public needs to know there is an end in sight to this nightmare and it’s no longer wishful thinking to hope that is just around the corner.

Everything now hinges on the distribution of the vaccine, specifically Oxford’s. This is no longer a question of science or medicine, it’s of manufacturing and logistics.

If we can get that right, then a full return to the “old normal” by March/April should be achievable.

The UK’s start was a fast one, but other countries are beginning to steam ahead. Israel has got almost 20 per cent of its population vaccinated with the first dose – what an astonishing statistic.

International comparisons are always tricky, but we should be aiming high.