Governments never give back any freedoms voluntarily, but after a successful mass vaccination, the pressure to give freedoms back will increase and force their hand. People like myself who supported the measures will switch sides as soon as the numbers support it.
There's no reliable comparable model for how the vaccine programme can take over from lockdowns and restrictions or how long it'll last as the virus mutates. Multiple vaccines, different efficacies, different cultures etc.That's why it's unreasonable for people to try to pin down a final "permanent" answer about what future restrictions may or may not be needed now. Getting rid of lockdowns even if that means a life of testing for a year or two is a massive step forward. Provided the testing is relatively easy and most of all fast and reliable, it shouldn't be a big imposition.
I don't think some people on here appreciate that the number of fully vaccinated vulnerable people in UK (i.e. 2 clear weeks the other side of their second jab) is relatively small - barely 5m or so. Way under 20%.
of vulnerable people. Plus the vaccines we were able to procure are at least 1/2 of unproven efficacy in preventing transmission and strength of response against SA/Brazil variants. In about 10-12 weeks' time we will see how well vaccinations can really substitute lockdowns. Global efforts to frustrate the pace of UK's herd immunity vaccination programme in favour of other countries' crisis needs, so that we cannot match the likes of USA with massive production and hoarded supplies, leave us for the rest of the year on a knife-edge instead of being comfortably ahead of the game.
As far as Europe is concerned, offering a first vaccination to everyone by September in practice means that hopefully by Christmas there should be herd immunity against original and UK variants. It does not mean that it's realistic to expect we can all enjoy a carefree Summer 2021. If vaccine production had been 4 times what it has been, and all European countries were as dedicated to delivery and uptake as UK was in January at the forefront of the Kent variant carnage European countries are now seeing for themselves, we would all be looking at a very rosy Summer right now. As it is, we are not in that place, but we're in a much better place than we were in March 2020 and that's a fact !