Vaccination Day looms. My father has had both of his vaccinations (Pfizer), my mother her first (Oxford) with the second scheduled for April, and Sandra her first (Oxford) with her second scheduled for May.
I expect my first to be done within a couple of weeks which means that IF the Governments Roadmap remains realistic we should be included in any “trial” matches at Edgbaston (County Games) and at the reduced capacity Test Match at Edgbaston which is just 10 days before we are all scheduled to be released into the wild.
I am expecting Sophie Ellis Bexter (May) and Queen (June) to be cancelled/postponed and in all honesty I don’t think we would go to them even though we were vaccinated: seems too early for large indoor events with people who have not been vaccinated (or refused the vaccine – see below). Rag n Bone Man (June) and Classic Ibiza (July) are both outdoors so I think they will go ahead and we would attend.
The Vaccination Programme has without doubt been a HUGE success: for the NHS, the army, the volunteers, the locations and the public who have responded beyond admirably with over 90% of those offered a vaccine having one. And of course the vaccine companies and scientists who have pulled off a modern day miracle.
DO NOT for one minute think this is a success for the Government. It is because they are not involved that it has worked and let’s be honest all Boris did was take a huge gamble with ‘our’ money (not his) buying up as much stock before it had been approved at higher prices and having waived liability. If that sounds like the last throw of the dice by a desperate man it was. Yes, it has paid off (thankfully) but he had managed the pandemic so badly that he had given himself no other choice, and he had no Plan Z if it failed.
The numbers that are being reported are encouraging to say the least but we have yet to get to the most cynical/reluctant age groups so we are some way off celebrating just yet, and of course we need the rest of the world to catch up before life opens up as ‘notrmal’.
Still the signs are good, no reason not to be cautiously optimistic, and I suspect many are relieved to be making plans again.