With the Oxford vaccine approved...

[Lemoncheesecake31]

When do we predict life will be looking more like normal? I really want to know when I’m likely to see my parents and family who live 5 hours away from us in the south. They’re in a tier 4 so currently no travel allowed.

I also want to start going to playgroups again and mental health peer support group in person too, instead of zoom...

I know no one has the answers, but anyone with some more knowledge than me on this as I feel out of my depth with it all. And my anxiety is making me think the worst always.

Late spring to summer

I agree things will be much more normal by summer. Maybe big events like Festivals won't be back on until 2022 but I would hope seeing family and toddler groups would be.

I would hope seeing small groups inside would be allowed by spring. Bigger gatherings by summer. Festivals and concerts not until 2022.

Spring the latest or my mental health will collapse.

3yr old and almost-2yr old here and this year has been fucking horrific. No playgroups, no swimming lessons, no play-dates indoors, no soft play etc.

I predict based on no evidence whatsoever once things open up again they won't close again now Oxford vaccine has been approved.

Not before Easter but before start of next school year. At a guess. Hopefully earlier for smaller mixing.

How about travelling around the country? As most of my friends and all my family are in the south east and I’m in the north west...just really hoping they can travel to me or vice versa by end of March...

@Lemoncheesecake31 I would hope that too. I think once the vaccine rollout has had a chance to get going and the first few millions have been vaccinated we should start to see an impact. We can hopefully all go back to tier 1 in spring maybe.

I think spring is a bit optimistic, maybe summer.

I'm 50. There are 25 million people in front of me in the line to get the vaccine. If one dose is sufficient to give some coverage and the second dose can be 2-3 months afterwards, and if the government can get us to up 1 million vaccinations a week (and really, I don't have much confidence in them I'm afraid) then by week 25 I should get my first vaccination (actually it will be later than that because some people will get their second shot before I get my first one) 52 weeks in the year so July at the earliest for me? Reduced uptake may get me to the front of the queue quicker, if the government decides to vaccinate teachers/supermarket workers etc (currently not in the schedule I think but maybe I'm wrong?) it could be later.

Can someone check my maths?

Restrictions were relaxed a lot last summer even without a vaccine so I think definitely around May-June time things will be a lot more "normal".

And a follow-up question (something else I have missed!) has there been any progress towards understanding if the vaccines prevent a vaccinated person from having COVID and spreading it to others, or it is just (and believable me, I'm happy!) likely to stop the vaccinated person dying if COVID if they catch it?

Apologies if I missed this upthread