But once problems of supply are inevitably resolved, it will be time to consider what life in a mostly vaccinated Australia will be like.

There is talk, in both the US and the UK, about COVID booster shots, as society adjusts to the virus as a normality and learns to live with it circulating in the community, much like the flu.

But what about ensuring we, as a society, continue to appreciate the importance of a widespread vaccination program?

The question will be, how tough are we going to be on the wilfully unvaccinated?

We're generally a compliant bunch in Australia, but questions around vaccine hesitancy, both here and overseas, have revealed some previously obscured - or unexamined - divides when it comes to exercising freedom of choice.

Supply issues, and comparisons between the different strains of the vaccine itself, have played into this to some extent, but when it comes to social responsibility, and acting for the greater good, Australia has a decent track record.

And the government has form when it comes to erring on the side of uncompromising.

But it's instructive to look at countries like France, which, from next month, will require anyone entering a cafe, restaurant, shopping centre or long-distance train to show a special COVID health pass.

The health pass - otherwise known as the EU Digital Covid Certificate - shows whether a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a recent negative test result, or recovered from the virus.

Anyone over the age of 12 is now required to show the pass to visit a movie theatre, museum, live theatre, theme park or cultural centre.

There have been massive protests against these measures, however they have also led to a rush on vaccination centres.

Meanwhile the US, after getting off to a quick start on vaccinations, is now trying to deal with those who refuse the jab, a symptom of an ultra-libertarian streak that insists on things like gun ownership for the sake of freedom above all else.

Australia, much like the UK, falls somewhere in between France and the US when it comes to requiring its citizens to act for the greater social good.

And we have the potential to implement hardline policies requiring vaccination for anyone wanting to take part in mainstream society.

We also have the chance to convince our citizens to be vaccinated, not because they are being ordered to, but because they know it's the right thing to do.

To this end, a positive campaign, highlighting all the aspects of our post-COVID world that are worth fighting for, will be far more effective than scare tactics.

And this will only be feasible when, much like France, the UK and the US, we are well on the way to a largely vaccinated population.

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