I’m managing my expectations over the vaccine rollout

It’s hard at this point when the solution feels so near, and yet is still out of reach, writes Katy Brand

A person receives a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in Blackpool (Getty)

It turns out it is extremely difficult to vaccinate the entire world at short notice. It’s also extremely difficult to create, test and approve a brand new vaccine in less than a year – but some absolute geniuses did it.

Now, it’s up to the logistics team to take over; and naturally there are some problems – not least of which, the rows breaking out across the EU about supply issues. 

The UK is doing very well for now, and the NHS is to be applauded to the skies, but there are supply issues down the road for us too.

The US has barely got going. And the bigger scandal is that at the time of writing, amongst the poorest nations in the world a total of only 25 vaccines have been administered.

It’s so hard at this point when the solution feels so near, and yet is still out of reach. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but sometimes it seems like a pinprick, and occasionally appears to be receding.

I have been trying very hard to manage my expectations, because having a realistic assessment of how the next six or even 12 months are going to play out, however tough it seems, is what helps keep me sane.

What doesn’t help is politicians, and I can think of one in particular, who keep making promises they can’t keep. Raising false hopes, only to dash them – over and over again – will do nothing but make people cynical, jaded and less likely to stick to the rules.

I do not expect to get anywhere near a vaccination syringe myself until July, at the absolute earliest. If my turn comes before that, then I will be thrilled. But I won’t be surprised if it’s more like autumn.

I don’t want to bring anyone down, but this bit was never going to be easy. I hope we can all work together, because for economies to open up again everyone in the world needs access to a vaccine.

And that is going to take an awfully long time. So, I wait; try to be patient and watch that pinprick of light, still tiny – but getting bigger, bit by infinitesimal bit – and think of better times... whenever they may come.