A few reports of blood clots following a vaccination lead to major European countries suspending their vaccine roll out programmes and confidence in the Astrazeneca vaccine being undermined. The European Commission, who was still fighting the previous battle, now finds itself chasing late delivery of a vaccine they have suspended and in doing so have suppressed demand to the point that they are already overstocked with supplies they cannot use. More seriously they have left thousands of Europeans exposed just at the point that the third wave arrives.

While the internet is awash with dubious advice on how to fix Europe in the background we are all facing a dilemma of similar complexity in our own lives. Global human life expectancy has increased 50% in the last 50 years – a pace so fast that all perceived wisdom at personal, local, national and global levels is irrelevant. Your prospects for later life are completely different to those of your parents and, in time, your children will face a completely different set of challenges.

As lock down is eased now is the perfect time to reflect on what you want to do with the rest of your life. A friend recently put it like this. At some point in the future you will be dead. What you can do is decide what happens in the time between now and then. Thinking about it, having a plan will ensure, as best you can, that you make the most of every day – and that is worth doing!