How the EU tortoise caught the UK hare in the Covid vaccination race

Boris Johnson will have to stop boasting about his jabs ‘victory’ or face ridicule when MPs return, writes Rob Merrick

Five EU nations – Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Ireland – have already overtaken the UK’s 70 per cent of the population now double-jabbed (PA)

Let’s see where we are in September,” said the EU in April, as Boris Johnson basked in the UK’s triumphant vaccination programme that left the rest of Europe trailing so badly.

Well, September is but a few weeks away, so it’s time to test that prediction – and discover a story with strong reminders of the tortoise chasing the hare.

Back in the spring, the story was undoubtedly one of British success, with 30 million jabs delivered compared with only 100 million across the whole of the EU’s 27 nations.