Kate writes a bi-weekly column for the Burton Mail. This column was originally featured in the 20th November print edition.
This past year has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult for families and businesses across the country. It has of course been hardest felt by those who have tragically lost loved ones or been seriously ill. Over the last week there has been a major breakthrough in our fight against this truly awful pandemic which has shown that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
We are approaching a Christmas that will feel very different to Christmases past, but the news of two potential vaccines could be the best gift that any of us receive this year. Finding a safe and effective vaccine is our best hope of defeating the virus and returning to life as we know it. Whilst there is no guarantee of how effective a vaccine will be, the Government has moved quickly and secured access to more than 355 million doses of different vaccine candidates and is prepared to begin a UK-wide NHS led programme of vaccine distribution.
The leading candidates are the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine which has proved to be more than 90% effective in preventing infection and has been successful in its safety trial so far, and the Moderna vaccine with an effectiveness of 94.5% in trials in preventing infection. The Government has procured 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and an initial 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Together with other vaccines, such as the one being developed at Oxford University by AstraZeneca, we have a real possibility that in the early part of 2021 we will have an effective vaccine ready to be rolled out. However, we are still some way off reaching this point and the biggest mistake we could make right now would be to become complacent and stop following the guidelines just as we reach this critical moment.
The hope that these potential vaccines give us should encourage us to continue to do everything possible right now to bring the R rate down and continue to protect our family, friends, and the NHS. Let’s not let our guard down.
