The UK’s four Chief Medical Officers have recommended all children aged 12-15 should be vaccinated against Covid
They have agreed that children of those ages should be given one dose of the Pfizer vaccine to help prevent education being disrupted
A final decision on rollout will be taken by ministers in the four nations of the UK
The UK recorded 30,825 new coronavirus cases on Monday, and 61 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
Boris Johnson confirms he'll announce his Covid winter strategy on Tuesday, saying he'll be "setting it all out tomorrow"
The PM says he's "very confident in the steps that we've taken" but won't rule out a winter lockdown
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says nobody wants another lockdown and the best way to avoid it is to be cautious and use practical measures
And Sir Keir says he will back vaccinations for 12 to 15-year-olds if the scientific advice is that it's safe
French vaccine maker Valneva says the UK government has scrapped a deal for its Covid vaccine
That's all from us on a busy day of coronavirus news.
These updates have been brought to you by Becky Morton, Jennifer Meierhans, Victoria Lindrea, Alexandra Fouché, Sinead Wilson, Emma Harrison, Rob Corp and James Clarke.
We'll be back with more tomorrow.
Image source, ReutersMasks have been in evidence on the first day back at school in New York City
And this is what's been happening around the world:
Image source, PA MediaProf Chris Whitty, Dr June Raine and Prof Wei Shen Lim were at the briefing in Downing Street
As we've almost come to the end of today's live page, here's a brief round-up of the key news lines in the UK:
Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent
There’s a reason this decision-making process has been so painful – it is such a finely-balanced call.
Healthy children aged 12 to 15 are at such low risk from Covid, that the benefit of vaccination on health grounds is only marginal – and not enough to warrant going ahead with it.
Even in terms of limiting school disruption, the modelling suggests the benefits may only be small.
The emergence of the Delta variant means the vaccines are less effective at preventing infection than they once were.
What is more, more than half of secondary school age children may have natural immunity after having been infected.
The assessment released by the CMOs suggests it may stop 30,000 infections between October and March in England.
This is based on a number of assumptions on uptake and spread of the virus in the coming months, which could be wrong.
But if that is the case that would prevent 110,000 missed days of in-person schooling – or one day for every 20 children.
Image source, Getty ImagesPrimark says the trend for "comfort wear" has continued through the summer, with strong sales of leisurewear such as leggings and cycle shorts.
Demand also rose for seam-free matching separates for women, as many people stayed in the UK for their holidays.
However, sales at Primark were lower than expected, with sales in June and July being affected by the "pingdemic".
It comes after the boss of clothing brand Boden declared formal office wear over.
Johnnie Boden says: "Because of Covid and working from home women have all felt a freedom to wear what they want, what they are comfortable in.
"Employers are much more relaxed about what people can wear. So I think the plain structured work suit, it won't disappear totally, but the demand for those sorts of products has reduced and isn't going to come back."
Read more: Pandemic fashion: 'We went from selling sequins to sweatpants'
Image source, Getty ImagesA zoo in the US is taking measures to protect its animals from Covid after several of its 20 gorillas tested positive for the virus.
The western lowland gorillas were tested after keepers at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia noticed some of them coughing, nasal discharge, and minor changes in appetite, it said, external.
The zoo is giving antibody therapy to gorillas at risk of complications; it will also vaccinate other animals including orangutans and Sumatran tigers.
Zoo managers believe the gorillas caught coronavirus from an asymptomatic worker.
"While humans are known to be able to transmit the virus to animals such as gorillas, and these cases have occurred at other zoos, there is currently no data to suggest that zoo animals can transmit the virus to humans," the zoo said.
Domestic cats and dogs are also known to have been infected by the virus.
Image source, PA MediaSainsbury's says it will keep all its stores shut this Boxing Day.
The UK's second largest supermarket says it will keep all of its supermarket, convenience stores and petrol stations shut as a "massive thank you to all our colleagues for everything they have done during the last challenging year".
Argos and Habitat stores will also remain shut for the day.
Sainsbury's is following in the footsteps of fellow grocers Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, who previously announced their intention to keep stores shut on 26 December.
"Christmas is a really special time for so many, but because of lockdown restrictions last year, lots of us weren't able to celebrate in the way we wanted," says Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury's.
He adds: "I want to thank our customers in advance for their understanding, which will mean as many of our team as possible can have a well-deserved break to spend time with loved ones."
Paddy Lillis, general secretary of the Usdaw trade union, welcomes the move.
"The pandemic showed just how important shopworkers are to our society and communities, as they stepped up and kept essential services running throughout.
"Key workers have done so much this year and we don't think it is too much to ask to give them the longest possible break over the festive season."
For the final question in the briefing, Professor Wei Shen Lim is asked about the data that led the JCVI to conclude the benefit of vaccination among 12 to 15-year-olds was only 'marginal'.
Prof Lim says it was "not a straight case of just doing the maths... there's much more to those numbers".
"We are talking about different reasons for being hospitalised (for either Covid or myocarditis)... and different longer term consequences."
He says: "We spent many hours looking at the whole range of benefits [to vaccination]."
And that brings to an end their update explaining why vaccinations for children aged 12-15 have been recommended.
The benefit of vaccinating younger people is an “important and potentially useful additional tool”, says England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty.
The benefit of vaccinating younger people is an “important and potentially useful additional tool” says England’s chief medical officer.
Read MoreLBC's question is about consent. What say will parents have over whether or not their children get vaccinated?
Whitty says the question of who provides consent for children was laid down in law by the Law Lords and it can't be over-ruled by ministers.
He says we are not doing anything differently in this than would be done in any other medical situation.
Gregor Smith says as a GP he has found himself talking to children and guardians about these issues.
By and large there is a great deal of agreement between parents and their children, he says, about how to proceed.
GB News asks whether the UK should have been faster in coming to this decision.
Whitty replies: "I think to compare national differences is hard."
He says it is "important to follow the normal process and take the time it takes to get the information needed".
A reporter from the i newspaper asks will the decision have a broader societal impact?
Dr Gregor Smith says the CMO review had only considered the risks/benefits to this particular age group (12 to 15-year-olds) and the wider impact had not been looked at.
But Prof Whitty adds that, in general, anyone who has a vaccine, "will be protecting those around them".
Natasha Clarke from the Sun newspaper asks if there is any evidence that jabbing all 12 to 15-year-olds will help prevent school closures in the winter and will it affect boosters for older people?
Whitty says there is no concern about this getting in the way of jabbing the elderly.
And in terms of the impact on education, it will reduce but not eliminate disruption, he says.
It reduces the chance children will get Covid by about 55% so it would be "very surprising" if it does not reduce disruption "by a significant extent".
However, he says jabs alone are not going to be the thing that deals with education issues.
There are no plans to re-examine jabs for under-12s, he says, adding "let's not rush that one at all".
The Telegraph asks could this decision not have been taken sooner given the UK seems to have waited longer than other countries, which are vaccinating young people?
Whitty replies that the Telegraph's reporter is "absolutely right" that other countries are giving the vaccine to younger people.
He thinks most parents and most children and young people will want the decision to be thorough, he says.
"Rushing these things doesn't seem like the right thing to do," he says. "It's about doing it thoroughly."
"This is a more difficult decision" compared with vaccinating adults, Whitty adds.
The Times asks if the vaccination is an offer or "just advice"?
"What we are not trying to do is say to children you must do this - but on balance - we are in favour," says Prof Whitty.
Prof Whitty says the four CMOs aligned themselves with the JCVI's nuanced recommendation.
He says the view of the CMOs was that the cumulative thinking on vaccinating young people was that it pushed recommendation "over the line".
Sky asks the next question - do the CMOs feel undermined by how the whole process has been handled?
Prof Whitty says he cares more about getting it right.
Sound decisions are "completely barn-door obvious", he says, and - unlike jabs for 85-year-olds - vaccinating children is more complicated, he adds.
Medicine is about communicating things that are complicated, he adds.
Emily Morgan from ITV asks how the medical establishment will convince parents to vaccinate children, given there are only marginal benefits.
Dr Gregor Smith, CMO for Scotland, says informed consent remains "really important",
It's vital "not to mistake marginal benefit for no benefit", he stresses.
He says it is important to stick to straightforward language and explain in child-friendly terms the advantages of proceeding with vaccination.
"As a parent we all want the very best for all our children," Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland Dr Michael McBride says.
Both the MHRA and JCVI had concluded there were benefits of vaccination even if that benefit was only small, he adds.
Talking about the wider benefits, he says education is "vitally important for realising our life opportunities"
"Children need the continuity and predictability of being in school for their well-being."
All of that will be an important part of the consent process, he adds.
The BBC's Fergus Walsh asks isn't there a danger that many parents and children are going to be left confused because the JCVI did not recommend that all 12-15 year olds be vaccinated, yet the Chief Medical Officers have.
Prof Chris Whitty says there is no conflict.
The JCVI said there was a marginal benefit, he adds.
In medicine you have to take various factors into account to work out risks and benefits, he says, and it is the CMOs' belief that there is an "additional" benefit from giving the jabs to all young people in this age group.
"We think that what we are doing is very much in line with JCVI," he says.
Our children "have suffered very significantly in terms of disruption through their education", says Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride.
"I would wish to ensure... that the information and advice to ensure parents and children can make an informed decision is available to them," he says.
Dr Frank Atherton, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, stresses the group of CMOs across the UK had taken account of the broad rights of children.
He emphasises the importance of this wider picture - particularly with regard to Wales, where there exists specific legislation on human rights for young people.
He says his message to the young people of Wales is that the vaccine will bring benefits both to them personally and their education, but ultimately the choice remains their own.