A couple of weeks ago at the end of a visit to my GP in Paris about a minor stomach ailment, the doctor, a charming Irishman, leant across his polished wooden desk with a conspiratorial air.
How do you feel about vaccines? he asked, his voice dropping.
I think theyre great, I replied, sensing where this might be leading.
Were getting our first supplies of AstraZeneca next week, so we will add you to the waiting list, he continued. But since each doctor is getting only six per week, you will probably not be in the first batch.
The tiny consignment seemed absurd, but my doctor was as good as his word and I did get the vaccine a good four days before a