Don’t let the vaccine go to waste now it is here...

IT has been about a month since the first Covid-19 vaccines were given to patients up and down the country.

And it’ll probably be another month or so before we start to see the first impact the inoculation programme will have on daily infection rates.

But one thing is for sure, we in Ashbourne have something to celebrate this week. Last week we were thrilled to bring news of the first care home jabs being administered – and this week we’re looking over the hugely successful wider roll-out at our very own St Oswald’s Hospital.

Well done to everyone who responded to their calls and travelled to the clinic for their vaccination.

And, more importantly, well done to the staff who have worked tirelessly for long hours to make sure it all went smoothly.

It’s been disappointing, though, to hear of so many missed appointments.

Apparently on Thursday, the first day the jabs began at St Oswald’s, 11 patients did not attend their appointments.

Bearing in mind the short shelf life of this precious vaccine this meant staff had to rush around after just working 12-hour shifts trying to find people who would have the vaccine.

They would rather have worked late, beyond 8.30pm, to ring around potential patients, than let these 11 doses, which we’d all waited so long to see arriving, go to waste.

These are the true heroes. And the people who miss appointments are hardly villains, but they’re delaying a process we’re all relying on to get us all back to normal.

If you don’t want the vaccine, that’s fine. It’s your choice. But for goodness sake don’t ignore the appointment letter.

Contact the surgery so they can find someone who actually deserves the protection it offers to take your place.

We’ve pinned too many hopes on this vaccine just to have it poured down the drain.