Kate Bingham had no doubts about taking part in one of the Covid-19 vaccine trials. She had enrolled as a volunteer earlier in the year. “Then I got a ping to say, ‘Would you like to participate in the Novavax trial?’ And actually, having done all the due diligence, the answer was, ‘Absolutely, I want to participate.’ I didn’t worry about safety. I had my jab on October 13.” There were no side-effects but she still has no idea whether she received the vaccine or a placebo.
Yesterday she stood down as head of the Vaccine Taskforce. “It’s been just crazy hard work, absolutely round the clock, evenings, weekends,” she says, pointing to the bags under her eyes.
Ms Bingham, a biochemist and venture capitalist,