Why won’t vaccinating the vulnerable end lockdown?

The Prime Minister says it is too soon to say whether lockdown will be lifted in the spring. But with the most vulnerable to be offered vaccination by mid-February, what is standing in the way?

The NHS will still be at risk

Lockdown looks to be having an impact on infection levels with the number of new

cases starting to fall. But there are only tentative signs this has filtered through to a slowing of new admissions to hospital. And even if they start coming down, the overall number of patients in hospital will remain high as patients are being discharged at a much slower rate

than they are coming in.

Vaccine supply

is fragile

There are no guarantees the

government will meet the mid-February target. The UK has certainly made a good start. Over the past week more than two million people have received

their first dose.

There will be lots of vulnerable still at risk

Even if the supply is good, there will still be lots of vulnerable people. Nearly 90% of Covid deaths have been in the groups due to get the jab by mid-February. But no vaccine is 100% effective and uptake will not be 100%. What is more there will still be many vulnerable people in

the over-60s age group.