The flu vaccination programme works well but the numbers can mislead us into thinking the covid vaccination programme to be easier than it really is. As a country we vaccinate a higher proportion of our elderly than most other countries, which is a good start. The elderly are more motivated (death is closer), are more likely to be registered with a doctor and in contact with the surgery, have time on their hands and are the most recorded demograph, pensions, electoral roll, likely to have lived in the same dwelling for a while etc, etc.
It's easy to go along with the general idea that computers, the internet, the modern world mean that we have records on everything and will not be defeated by data. We are going to have to locate, identify, invite, record and physically vaccinate some people that we rarely take any notice of. Many have incomplete records of any kind, lack any reliable identification of who they are and move regularly. That's before we get to the groups who actively avoid the life the rest of us live, travellers of every kind, fundementals religous and otherwise, those without papers and criminals. The mentally ill, we don't treat and aren't aware of , those with learning difficulties, drug and alcohol abusers. We won't get everyone but we need to get most.
The army and logistics experts can help with the practicalities but I really do worry about the data and admin. We are great at dealing with customers, the willing and the motivated but there are an awful lot of people that we haven't wanted on board for a good while. We have a degraded local system that can be revived to work well but It 's not just a matter of counting the weeks till we're done. We (I don't just mean the |UK) aren't very good at actually doing stuff an more. Good at aspiration, assertion, sloganising, policy statements, statistics to prove a point, bluster and self congratulation is our home ground. We are sure to blunder a bit but fingers crossed the real people, who do stuff, will somehow get us through.
