THE United Kingdom is in a very privileged position in regards to our access to coronavirus vaccinations. Those over 37 are now being jabbed; the gap between injections is being shortened from 12 weeks to eight and in places where the Indian variant is running rife, we are “surge vaccinating”.

All of which is using up more and more doses – doses which could have gone to India or Nepal, as the Gurkhas stationed at Catterick Garrison are arguing (see Page 33).

Covax, the World Health Organisation’s programme which delivers vaccines donated by wealthier countries to those in low income places, said yesterday that it was about to deliver its 65 millionth dose – but it expected to have given out 170m. By contrast, the UK has administered 56.7m jabs within these shores.

You would have to be a very selfless British person to send your jab to a foreign arm.

So if we are unable to do that, we have to try other avenues. The Gurkhas, for example, want to be sent back to Nepal to build field hospitals, which seems an admirable way for Britain to assist. We really should restore our overseas aid budget and target it at helping poor countries overcome the pandemic, and when we’ve finished our own vaccinations, we have to keep buying doses to send elsewhere.

Does this sound like a way to salve our guilty consciences?