Light in the darkness

It would be nice to think so! It was actually sunny today, but on a brief walk this afternoon we saw the storm clouds rolling in from the Pyrenees and by six o'clock this is what it was like.

In light (not) at the end of the tunnel news, it's dispiriting to read today that after starting its vaccination programme on Sunday, France has so far vaccinated -- ta-da! -- 138 people. According to a survey, 60% of French people don't want to be vaccinated; it's the most anti-vax nation in Europe. I know a few otherwise sensible adults who are not averse to conspiracy theories about it. I think some of the suspicion may stem from the contaminated blood scandal in the 1980s, when HIV-contaminated blood was given to haemophiliacs.

The vaccinations started with two old people's homes, taking the vaccine to the people rather than the other way around, thus making logistics more complicated. They intended to vaccinate residents first, but so few of them volunteered that they ended up using doses on staff so as not to waste them. The government says it needs to go slowly to "reassure" people. You don't convince people the vaccine is safe by being too scared to vaccinate them! They also decided not to ask prominent people to be vaccinated on camera. Maybe this means we will get to the front of the queue sooner, but I have my doubts.