When I arrive for my third vaccine jab it’s grey and drizzly and the trees are almost colourless. I know the ropes, but there’s no sense of ceremony this time. It’s only just past 10am and already it’s clear that the orderly flow of people will soon become a jam. Seats fill up in the waiting area as doctors pause to refill their vaccine supplies. When it’s my turn, the doctor confides that she’s not sure how she’ll get through the day. The omicron variant has arrived and we’re all desperate to get boosted.

Weary and disillusioned, we’re heading into a long winter of the Omicron Blues.