Shropshire Star comment: Vaccine race is not over

That was why the decision was taken to get first jabs into arms ensuring the greatest number of people got an early measure of protection, even if it meant it would take a little longer in giving the follow-up second jab.

That urgency was driven by the disease, and the terrible death toll it was inflicting. Thanks to lockdown and the rising tide of vaccinations, the number of deaths is now substantially reduced.

But the race is still very much on. And now it is not only a race to protect those groups who have yet to get their jab, but a race for that to happen while vaccine stocks are still available in numbers.

Already we know that there is going to be a slowdown in supply in April, and on top of that a political dimension has developed, with talk of bans on vaccine exports. It's a global pandemic, the whole world is suffering, and the whole world wants the vaccines which offer a path to recovery.

Compared to many places, and particularly to the rest of Europe, the United Kingdom is in a good situation with vaccination. You could call it luck, but this is luck that Britain has made for itself with good planning and some early gambles which have paid off.

Our NHS is rolling out one of the most successful vaccine programmes in the world.

The hard work continues, and the national medical director for the NHS, Professor Stephen Powis, is urging the over-50s and those at risk to book their Covid-19 vaccines quickly before slots dry up.

He is calling for anyone who qualifies for a jab but has not yet received a first dose to book an appointment in the next few days.

And this is something people in that category should rush to do, both for their own good, and for the common good, as every person who has the protection that the vaccine offers is another door closed in the face of Covid-19 in Britain.

While things are looking promising, we cannot be sure what twists and turns may come, so everybody who joins this race takes us a step closer to the finishing line.