The writer is a science commentator

Logistics permitting, about 15m people in the UK will have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by some time in February. Provided the second doses are delivered in a timely manner, this should keep the most vulnerable out of hospital.

This milestone will not, however, push us much further towards normality. We do not yet know if the vaccines curb transmission, though it is reasonable to hope they might. Most working-age people are unlikely to receive a first dose before summer. Even if the elderly can savour a newfound freedom, it is unclear why unprotected individuals should be expected to head back to non-essential workplaces, especially amid concern about a deadlier variant. Given that vaccines have been sold as the main exit strategy come spring, some serious expectation management is now required — together with an unrelenting focus on suppressing the virus.