THERE has been much rejoicing this weekend at the much anticipated announcement that the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has passed the 15 million milestone.

The Prime Minister said it was an “extraordinary feat” just over two months after 91-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme. It puts the Government firmly on course to meet its target of offering a first dose to everyone in its top four priority groups – including all over-70s – by today.

But that’s not to say it has all gone without hitch, as today’s front page reveals.

Read again: Anger as preschool workers turned away from Kassam jab hub

There are some who believe it is pure heresy – blasphemy even – to criticise any aspect of the NHS. Most people, thankfully, are more broad-minded and have the intelligence to comprehend that by listening to the gripes and drawing attention to the glitches in the system, we can help make it better.

Over the weekend, up to 200 key workers turned up at the Kassam Stadium expecting to get their first jabs and were turned away. They didn’t push their way to the front or lie about their jobs. They were led to believe they were next in line and did the responsible thing by booking themselves in through the NHS’s self-referral system. They were understandably upset.

To stand up for those hardworking professionals who were heartbroken not to have received their jabs, in no way negates the efforts undertaken by our NHS heroes. To believe so is idiotic. No one sitting at home, whether retired or on furlough, has any right to belittle the concerns of preschool staff who have been forced to return to work through the most dangerous stages of this pandemic. They are doing an essential job. Without their services many other key workers – including NHS frontline staff would not be able to work.

There is a problem with the booking system which needs fixing. It is our job to help raise that and see it fixed before, as is otherwise inevitable, this happens again.. and again.