THE continued roll out of coronavirus vaccines in Scotland will be an enormous source of optimism for everyone.

At this stage, more then 1.3million people have received their first dose of the vaccine, including 73,128 people in the Forth Valley Health Board area, representing 28.77 per cent of the population.

However, there have certainly been bumps in the road so far. At this stage, recriminations and bluster don’t seem a helpful form of politics, but it’s equally important that mistakes are acknowledged, understood and learnt from.

Scenes in Fife where an error in the national booking system led to people queuing in freezing conditions can’t be repeated.

As we move down the priority list, vaccinators will be dealing with increasingly large groups of people, which means any error is likely to produce greater delays.

The desire for speed in the vaccination programme is understandable, though it does also bring its own risks. We need to make sure absolutely nobody falls through the cracks and that’s why the role of GPs can’t be underestimated when it comes to making sure everyone gets the vaccine at the right time, especially in more rural parts of Clackmannanshire

Supporting GPs to reach out to their older and vulnerable patients minimises the risk that those living far from the nearest vaccine centre are lost in the rush to move down the vaccine priority list. Direct contact from trusted individuals could also help promote vaccine uptake.

While the rates are high those missing out are disproportionately from disadvantaged areas and we need to do everything we can to change that by building confidence in the vaccine.

None of this should diminish the optimism that many are feeling at this time. After an incredibly difficult period that sense of hope is absolutely vita. It also gives us all reason to look to the future and ensure that our recovery from the crisis is fair and sustainable.

Public transport has naturally suffered during the pandemic, but it must form the backbone of the recovery. The Scottish Greens recently launched our Rail for All report which contains comprehensive costed proposals to repair the damage done from years of neglect.

Central to our plans include re-opening the passenger link between Alloa and Dunfermline, slashing the journey time, connecting the region and opening up enormous opportunities for both Clackmannanshire and Fife.

In the last year, we’ve also spent a lot more time locally and while no one would suggest the restrictions have ever been welcome the chance to spend more time in our communities is something that many will welcome. That connection needs to be reinforced by offering more chances for communities to gain a meaningful stake in their local area.

We needn’t look far for a prime opportunity to make that a reality. The rapidly deteriorating Greenfield House in Alloa is causing understandable concern in the community.

Private developers have acquired the iconic building and left it to rot. That can’t carry on and if they’ve no intention to use it should be transferred back for use by the community.

There is still a long way to go in our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, but we can build a world far better than the one we leave behind and look forward to a bright sustainable future.