Tasked with getting anti-virus needles into arms, our leaders have proved totally unable to organise the proverbial drinking session in a brewery. Twenty million people are supposed to have had covid jabs by now. The actual figure is only 2.6 million.

This is a national emergency, just as a major war would be. The national government should have been working with the states on the details of vaccination, offering money and experienced planners where necessary – in other words, an overall, detailed plan. Instead the Federal government has walked away – “none of our business – we sent you the stuff; it’s now up to you to get the vaccinations done”. But the states are not set up to do this and don’t have people, the experience or the money. The national government, supported by the Senate, has thus shown shocking irresponsibility as the death toll has inexorably risen day by day.

While this isn’t surprising, a suggestion was made last night on CNN that either the World Health Organisation or UNICEF, who are experts on vaccination all over the world, should be invited to come to the US in force and show us how to organize this desperately needed vaccine campaign. UNICEF digging the US out of a hole? Good gracious! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

There will surely be another pandemic in the future, and let us hope the lessons of this one are learned and internalized.