Martin Fullard
EN editorial director Martin Fullard welcomes news of a vaccine , but says rapid testing will speed up the return
It is uncanny : the very moment I sat down to write this article a BBC News notification popped up on my phone saying that US pharmaceutical firm Moderna has developed a vaccine , which early data shows is 95 % effective against COVID-19 . This news comes less than a week after Pfizer went public with news that its vaccine is 90 % effective . Halleluiah , the end is in sight . News of the vaccine was a welcome boost for the markets , with our good friends at Informa becoming the third highest riser on the FTSE100 share index on the day of the announcement , putting on gains of over 30 % at one point before settling at 27 %. There were other large companies in the events sector that benefited too , with Compass Group the fourth highest riser and InterContinental Hotel Group seventh in the FTSE100 . The end , at last , is in sight . Or is it just the beginning ?
As professor Jonathan Van Tam reminded us , one swallow doesn ’ t make a summer , and while news of multiple successful vaccines will see much unclenching of the buttocks , the return of exhibitions , and the associated confidence , will not return overnight . Should the vaccine roll out before Christmas , which requires two jabs three weeks apart , then healthcare workers are first in line , followed by the elderly and those deemed vulnerable . The general population under the age of 55 , with no known health issues , will be waiting a long time , possibly summer 2021 , before they are able to enjoy an earnest prick in the arm . You may have seen a story I picked up on the other week : that conference and exhibition venues will become vaccination centres . I have it on reasonable authority from a few smaller venues that they are expecting to be operating as these centres until May 2021 , yet scientists say that the cycle of vaccination will extend beyond this time . Let us avoid putting arbitrary timeframes on things and save ourselves the distraction . Nonetheless , the firing gun has been started on planning for 2021 , and organisers can start moving forwards . Yet things may remain a bit different for a while longer , so with that in mind , we must pay serious consideration to the question of rapid testing . Rapid testing is going to
“ Rapid testing is going to be the interim stimulus that will permit exhibitions to go ahead , and as if news of the vaccine wasn ’ t enough for you , it seems government agrees .”
be the interim stimulus that will permit exhibitions to go ahead , and as if news of the vaccine wasn ’ t enough for you , it seems government agrees . Leaked documents seen by The Telegraph suggest the Government will acquire more than 60 million of rapid test kits per month from January . The tests , which cost £ 5 each , provide ( presumably accurate ) results within 15 minutes and people testing negative could be given a ‘ freedom pass ’ to attend events . We all know that there is a desire for live human interaction , and the end of this wretched pandemic cannot come soon enough . News of the vaccine brings the return of live closer , but a push for rapid testing will bring it closer still .
38 — December