Ireland's vaccine rollout – hiccuping in the eyes of some, and beset by supply issues – is nonetheless well underway by now.
With the jab's distribution comes the hope that we might regain some normality later this year.
Talk of lockdowns drowns out the positives of the vaccine roll-out – including the small fact that we're actually doing pretty well when compared to other countries.
According to the HSE's figures, 158,904 people in Ireland have received their first dose of a vaccine.
An additional 89,380 people have received their second dose.
This will only speed up when more vaccine supplies become available.
When we look 4,242 kilometres across the water to Israel, its vaccination roll-out offers several encouraging signs that life may eventually get back to normal.
Israel's vaccination programme is underway for some time now.
Many countries have watched eagerly as Israel vaccinates its citizens, in the first major insight into how vaccines perform outside of clinical trials.
Israel's Health Service Maccabi has fully vaccinated 523,000 people with both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Out of those vaccinated, only 544 people — or 0.1% — have subsequently been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Among those 544 people, there were only four severe cases, and no one has died.
Vaccine efficacy
Maccabi announced on Thursday that the effectiveness rate of the vaccine stood at 93%.
In a study, it compared immunised members to a “diverse” control group of unvaccinated members.
Full protection for those vaccinated is not expected to kick in until receiving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
As such, those who participated in the study had all received their second dose at least seven days prior to the study.
Maccabi has shown that the Pfizer vaccine's efficacy is close to the 95% shown in clinical trials, and that brings hope that the vaccines are as effective as they state they are.
So as Ireland's vaccine roll-out quickens, and more people are vaccinated, there are many chances things will get better than they seem at the moment.
While the end of the pandemic may not yet be in sight, these are hugely encouraging signs from Israel that the best is yet to come.
