Young people have stepped up over the Covid-19 vaccine – for that they should be applauded

Editorial: It is clear that over-18s feel a sense of duty towards their families and the community at large

People queue outside an NHS vaccination clinic at West Ham’s London Stadium (PA)

In the race between the Delta variant and the Covid vaccines, it would seem that the vaccine is at least keeping pace. Not to push the analogy too far, there was an increasing danger that the faster spread of the new mutation of the virus would mean that it would establish itself and cause a spike in cases before the usual effects of “herd immunity” started to protect the community as a whole.

That was certainly evidenced in the trends in the northwest of England, Bedford and elsewhere. Even though the link between infection, hospital admissions and death have been weakened by the vaccine programme and improved treatments, there was every possibility of a third wave of Covid. Hence the decision to postpone the so-called freedom day until 19 July.

It was far from a gamble, but one significant risk factor persisted: would young people volunteer for the jab? After all, right from the beginnings of the pandemic it became clear that the virus had a far more devastating effect on the old than the young. Why, then, would they bother going to the trouble of booking an appointment?