Express & Star comment: Jab a game changing moment in fight with coronavirus
At last the relentless torrent of bad news is being offset by some morale-boosting good news.
The pace of the vaccine rollout is astonishing, with around 10 million Britons now having been given the jab, a tremendous effort by all those involved.
And it just gets better, because we now know from the scientists that the Oxford vaccine not only protects those who have had the jab, but clamps down too on the potential of the virus to spread.
It has been found that a single dose may cut transmission of the virus by two thirds. There was a worry that those who have had the jab could, despite being personally protected, continue to pose a danger to others through being capable of passing on Covid-19 to them.
The new evidence that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine largely stops that happening is a gamechanger almost as big as the gamechanging moment which came with the advent of the vaccine in the first place.
It has also been found that one dose offers protection of 76 per cent for up to three months. That is a boost for the Government's policy of allowing up to 12 weeks for the second jab, as it means as many people as possible can be given a high degree of protection as soon as possible.
In the vaccine rollout the UK has been a world leader, and the way we have chosen to do it has been watched by the rest of the world. This new research is a vindication of the British approach.
Through human ingenuity and endeavour, doors are being slammed in the face of this deadly virus. However, it is a resourceful and adaptable enemy which will continue to look to find new doors to push open as it searches for other avenues of attack, so the scientists will need to find new weapons and defences.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is now one of a number which have been approved, and others will no doubt soon be joining the battle which has united the efforts of nations.
This home-produced vaccine is cheap, and easy to store and distribute.
May it prove to be Britain's gift to the world, and take a leading role in reversing the tide of this terrible global pandemic.
