Since early 2020, with the introduction of COVID-19 to the UK, one of the solutions to prevent maximum impact from the virus was to create a vaccination. The first vaccine, given to Margaret Keenan, was back in December 2020. Since then over 20 million vaccinations have been given in the UK. Due to the limited stock of vaccines, the government had to make the decision about who to prioritise in receiving the virus. It was decided that the vaccines would be given based on age and health conditions, instead of occupations with the government saying it would be “complicated” and would “waste time” to go down that road. Currently with 400,000 vaccinations every day, it should not be too long before all the adults in the UK are vaccinated.
Sue, 80 commented on her experience with the vaccine “ I am from Ledbury which was one of the first towns to start vaccinating. They are taking place in the community centre. They take your name check it on the computer and take your temperature and ask you a few questions you are then directed to one of the four lines to be vaccinated. After that you sit down for 15 minutes in case there’s any side-effects. It’s incredibly efficient. I was very excited and didn’t have any side-effects. I think it is wonderful that science is beating the pandemic. It shows optimism for the future of mankind
How does the UK compare with other countries throughout the world ?
Among highly populated countries, the UK has the highest proportion of vaccinated people in the world. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that richer countries are having more success with the vaccine. For example, the UK and US are doing well compared to the rest of the planet through their ability to invest in the vaccine development from early on. However not all wealthy countries are doing well ; in the EU most of the countries are struggling through their inability to attain vaccines despite their major investment. This is because European factories are struggling with supply.
The importance of the vaccine throughout the world cannot be understated. With us all hoping our lives can go back to normal, the vaccine is most likely the only way that can happen.
