The UK’s failure to do more to stop Covid from spreading early in the pandemic was one of the worst ever public health failures.

The government approach backed by its scientists was to try to manage the situation and in effect achieve herd immunity by infection.

This led to a delay in introducing the first lockdown, costing thousands of lives.

But the report highlights successes too, including the vaccination rollout.

It described the whole approach to the vaccination programme – from the research and development through to the rollout of the jabs – as “one of the most effective initiatives in UK history”.

The report predominantly focuses on the response to the pandemic in England. The committee did not look at steps taken individually by Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The findings are detailed in the report – Coronavirus: Lessons learned to date – from the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science and Technology Committee, which contain MPs from all parties.

Across 150 pages, the report covers a variety of successes and failings.

MPs call the pandemic, which has claimed more than 150,000 lives in the UK and nearly five million worldwide so far, the “biggest peacetime challenge” for a century.