A medical student in Liverpool giving a vaccine. Composite: Christopher Thomond/Image treatment by Guardian design A medical student in Liverpool giving a vaccine. Composite: Christopher Thomond/Image treatment by Guardian design After sitting alone in my flat for most of last year, I jumped at the chance to deliver Covid vaccines. This is what I’ve learned Wed 14 Apr 2021 05.00 EDT Pushing a needle through fake skin is not much like the real thing. So I discovered when I vaccinated my first patient at a mass vaccination centre in north London. You feel for a person’s shoulder blade and give the injection two finger-widths below the tip of the shoulder, in the middle of the deltoid muscle. In training, you’re given a salmon-coloured “arm” of silicone sponge to practise on. In reality, arms – like the people they belong to – are unique; it takes a little while to confidently feel your way with each new person you close the NHS regulation blue curtain behind.