Covid-19: Final decision on jobs for children due in days

A mass covered vaccine rollout for 12 to 

15 year olds could still go ahead that's despite a government a decision by the government's scientific advisors not to support it gps are forced to delay flu jabs because of a shortage of hgv drivers which is disrupted supplies. it was an image that shocked the world desperate parents handing their baby over to american troops in Afghanistan but what happened next we'll be talking to the british medic called in to help good morning reigning supreme for a third paralympic games running hannah cockroft dominates on the track again to win her seventh gold medal in the team before 800 meters that's the first of three triumphs already today for the british team in tokyo good morning it's been a bit cool and cloudy for some of us recently but you'll be pleased to hear that there is a bit more sunshine in the forecast and temperatures will be on the up over the next few days too some rain in the forecast for tomorrow in the north I'll have all the details throughout the morning's program. https://warriorplus.com/o2/a/xz3bxy/0

it's saturday the 4th of september our 

top story the uk's for chief medical officers are expected to decide within days whether to recommend vaccinating healthy children against corona virus yesterday the joint committee on vaccination and immunization which advises the government decided against recommending the jabs for 12 to 15 year olds saying the health benefits were marginal. it's believed the government think there is still a strong case for going ahead here's our health correspondent catherine burns america has been doing it since may more than 10 million 12 to 15 year olds there have had a covid vaccine other countries are too including canada brazil France the netherlands italy but not the UK regulators approved vaccines as safe and effective for this age group in the summer but the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation's job is to decide if it's necessary it's answer not for every 12 to 15 year old for the healthy children the risk benefit balance is really very uncertain and very tight and normally what we do when we recommend vaccination for children is we see a very clear benefit that clearly outweighs any possible risk and in the absence of that clear blue water if you like between those two we prefer to advise that healthy children should not for the moment be immunised covid doesn't tend to make children very sick so the benefits of vaccinating them have to be weighed up against the risks like myocarditis inflammation of the heart. it's a very rare complication from pfizer and moderna vaccines and affects. young people more they tend to recover quickly but the jcvi wants to know more about the longer term effects but some of the 3 million 12 to 15 year olds across the uk will be invited for a vaccine 150 000 were already eligible because they have conditions including down syndrome or immune problems same too for another 114 thousand teens because they live with someone who's immunosuppressed and now that's been extended to another        200 000 children with a wider range of conditions like heart problems epilepsy or poorly controlled asthma so as schools go back teenagers who are most likely to be severely affected by coronavirus will be able to get a vaccine the experts have made this call purely on the health of children not other factors like missing time in education the next step the chief medical officers in england scotland wales and Northern ireland have now been asked to weigh up those other factors which means this decision could change one way or another in the next week or so katherine burns. https://warriorplus.com/o2/a/xz3bxy/0

well political correspondent helen kat 

joins us now helen the newspapers this morning reporting on the fact that the government could well go against the decisions of the jcvi yes and that's because it's that point that we've said over and over again during this pandemic advisors advise ministers decide and ministers have been pretty keen and suggested publicly that they're pretty keen to see vaccinations rolled out teenagers gavin Williamson the education secretary earlier this week saying he very much hoped that the government would be in a position to do that we know that preparations have already started to be made to enable that sort of rollout but ministers had always said this was you know if the jcvi approved it and of course they haven't they have not recommended that so ministers have now gone to those chief medical officers of the four nations to try and take that broader view looking at other factors not just the benefits to the person being vaccinated sources at the department for health saying that vaccination for teenagers is still not off the table the one really important thing i think that it's worth mentioning is that the expectation is that those four chief medical officers will work together in unison so the expectation is not that we would see for example teenagers being vaccinated in one part of the uk but not in another but what's interesting about this is is that so so far it's been pretty easy for ministers the jcbi has made a clear recommendation on vaccinations and they've just followed it. this is the first time that we've really seen that that judgment that fine balance coming into play very interesting helen kat many thanks.  some gp surgeries in england and Wales have begun cancelling appointments for the winter flu jab after delays to the delivery of doses of the vaccine a shortage of lorry drivers is believed to be behind the problem and doctors have warned. it will have a serious impact on workloads and patients our correspondent helena wilkinson has this report. 

this year's flu campaign is set to be 

the largest in history more than 35 million people in the uk will be offered the jab on the NHS news of a delay to some flu vaccine deliveries is causing concern and

cancellations 

sakirus which supplies vaccines to gp practices and pharmacies in england and wales have told their customers supply would be disrupted due to unforeseen road freight challenges. 

it's believed to be because of a 

shortage of lorry drivers the company warned of a delay of up to two weeks. 

it's advising gps not to book patients 

in until they have confirmation of delivery a two-week delay has a massive impact on our flu vaccine program because the clinics are already set up many surgeries already have a lot of vulnerable patients booked in we like to get going early on in September ready for the winter so this is really really worrying doctors are already dealing with a chronic shortage of blood test tubes supply chain issues have been blamed for that. 

The british medical association said 

delays to flu vaccine deliveries caused a huge increase in staff's already unsustainable workloads adding that it created unneeded anxiety for patients.