The only people to have bragged about vaccine supply are ministers themselves. Rewind to last summer and you could be forgiven for thinking that we would soon be drowning in the stuff.
On August 14, the Business Secretary Alok Sharma made the third in a string of world-beating vaccine supply announcements with news of a further “90 million” doses.
“It means the UK has placed orders for six experimental vaccines, taking its potential stockpile to 340 million doses,” explained the BBC’s Fergus Walsh. “In theory, there should be enough for everyone in the UK to get five doses.”
Back then ministers were not just saving Britain but saving the world. “Today's agreements will not only benefit people in the UK but will ensure fair and equitable access of a vaccine around the world, potentially protecting hundreds of millions of lives,” said Mr Sharma.