The Long Shot cover art

The Long Shot

The Inside Story of the Race to Vaccinate Britain

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The Long Shot

By: Kate Bingham, Tim Hames
Narrated by: Jennifer Ness
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About this listen

On 3 April 2020, Kate Bingham was told that the likelihood of any Covid-19 vaccine working was 15% at best. But on 8 December 2020, the first NHS patient received a vaccine. Now nearly every adult in Britain has had a jab, lockdowns have ended and we can finally live with COVID. What lies behind this staggering success story?

From a small cottage, Bingham juggled vaccine suppliers, Whitehall, the media circus – and her daughter's exams. Political maneuvring, miscommunications and administrative meddling nearly jeopardized the project. But perseverance paid off.

Catapulted into a national crisis, Bingham's eclectic team secured the first vaccine doses administered in the West and saved thousands of lives in the UK as new variants struck. This is an unmissable insider view into how the Vaccine Taskforce beat the odds and delivered the scientific miracle we all waited for.

©2022 Kate Bingham & Tim Hames (P)2022 W. F. Howes Ltd Medicine & Health Care Industry

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All stars
Most relevant  
Inspiring story of how a highly qualified team worked together to get the various Covid vaccines made, tested, approved and into peoples arms. Yes they were the elite, yes they were well connected but they mostly worked for nothing, cutting through bureaucracy to get this done fast and well. Frustratingly it also shows how so much potential future good was thrown away by short sighted politicians.

Really interesting behind the scenes view of the race to get vaccines

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This book should be compulsory reading for all civil servants & prospectives, especially the last chapter.
A great example of the ‘lean in’ approach.

Eye opening

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Kate Bingham provides a personal and critical insight into the UK’s successful Covid vaccination programme. It’s a story of how to get things done in crisis, and amid huge uncertainty. It has sharp lessons for everyone involved in high profile, high cost, government programmes. Excellent Audible listen.

A most important book

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While this was a fascinating insight into the period this book covers, I was disappointed that this period was in fact pretty short.
This book covers the tenure of Kate Bingham as head of the vaccine task force, which ended in late 2020. Anything that happened after that, from the mass rollout of the vaccine, the roller coaster of the daily covid case statistics, the blood clot scare, the shift to Pfizer for the young, etc. all of that isn't covered.
I was surprised by this as the book cover itself features the the familiar 'I've had my covid vaccine' sticker which was introduced after the end of the period covered.

So if you're interested in the behind-the-scene story of how Britain's vaccine machinery got into place and operated in its first 6 months then go ahead, but be warned that you'll have to look elsewhere for anything after that.

Limited in scope

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Once you get used to all the acronyms it’s an eye opener to the amazing success of the team despite market and more especially government intervention.

Great insight to what actually happened

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Government procurement is not normally a subject that would attract my attention but given the ‘unusual’ circumstances, this is a fascinating overview of how the combination of an international emergency and a can-do attitude can result in a great success.

The story is well told with about the right balance of scientific detail, good honest graft and political machinations. Hearing how the press pack suddenly decided to place the author in their crosshairs, probably as part of a wider campaign to dicredit/hold to account ( take your pick) the government’s response to covid, is fascinating listening.

A real life modern adventure story

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All the talented people many of them women who delivered all aspects of the vivid vaccine effort

Don't believe in UK read this

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Three chapters in and I'm out. Reads like a dry LinkedIn post. Maybe in paperback I could skip past the tedium, but not in audio. As for the narration, do people really pronounce the WHO as the 'who?' as though the rock band are in charge of world health?

Dry

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