Hero-worshipping vaccines and their creators during a pandemic is never a good idea

Some were in too much of a hurry to hail impact of vaccine

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert

Fionola Meredith

In August 2021, a new Barbie doll was launched. It wasn’t the usual impossibly skinny sort with huge blonde hair and tiny feet. The doll was a tribute to the scientist who designed the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert, of the University of Oxford.

At that time, Dame Sarah’s invention was the most widely used vaccine in the world, with doses sent to more than 170 countries, and the public mood was one of gratitude, relief, sometimes even bordering on hero-worship. She received a damehood and was given an emotional standing ovation at Wimbledon.