Coronavirus live news: Moderna withholds 1.6m vaccines in Japan over contamination concerns, Sydney hospitals struggle to cope
Pharamaceutical giant Moderna says it’s withholding 1.63m vaccine doses over fears of contamination with particulate matter while Sydney’s health system struggles as the city reports record case numbers
- NHS planning Covid vaccines for children from age 12, reports say
- Does Covid immunity wane and will vaccine boosters be needed?
- Turkey and Pakistan could come off UK red list in travel update
- NZ: Ardern rejects criticism of elimination strategy after 68 new cases
- See all our coronavirus coverage
Russia recorded 19,630 new Covid cases and 820 deaths in the latest 24-hour period, the government’s coronavirus task force said on Thursday.
The latest figures compare to 19,536 new cases and 809 deaths the previous day.
Here’s the full story on the proposed plans to extend the UK’s vaccination programme to 12- to 15-year-olds, from my colleague Damien Gayle.
NHS England has been told to prepare to administer Covid vaccinations to all children aged 12 and above, according to reports.
Related: NHS planning Covid vaccines for children from age 12, reports say