Germany is seeking advice on whether to delay giving the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to make supplies go further, in a similar move to the UK, according to a document seen by the Reuters news agency.

The country's health ministry has asked an independent vaccination commission for its opinion on administering the second shot later than 42 days after the first.

The UK will give both parts of both the Pfizer and the Oxford vaccines 12 weeks apart, having initially planned to leave 21 days between the Pfizer jabs.

Image source, Reuters

Boris Johnson says he had "misgivings" after shutting primary schools during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on a visit to a London hospital, the Prime Minister said: "It's very important to understand that back in March, one of the things I look back on with the greatest misgivings was the closure of primary schools because it's so important for young people to get an education.

"That's why closing primary schools is, for all of us, a last resort. That's why we are looking at everything else we can possibly do to avoid that.

"I would stress schools are safe and the risk to kids is very, very small."

He said the risk to teachers was no greater than to anyone else and the argument for keeping schools open was "very powerful".

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Lots of countries have grappled with how to reopen schools safely amid the pandemic. But in Kenya, where public and private schools were shut in March, the closures have been among the longest in Africa.

Millions of children are finally returning to primary and secondary schools in the country today.

The ministry of education has issued guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.

These include urging teachers to use every available space, including learning under trees, to ensure social distancing.

Parents have been asked to buy face masks for their children and the government promised to distribute some to needy students.

Teachers aged over 58 years old and those with pre-existing conditions have been asked to work remotely or teach in open spaces.

Final year students had resumed in-person learning in October but took a short break over the festive season.

The country has recorded 96,802 cases of the virus including 1,685 deaths, according to the health ministry.

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Working parents trying to balance work and childcare should be put on furlough while schools are closed in England, says the Trades Union Congress (TUC) - the umbrella body for UK trades unions.

All secondary schools will remain closed to students this week, except for the children of key workers such as NHS staff, while most primary schools are open to pupils from today, except in London and parts of the south east of England.

However, decisions over whether it was safe for pupils to return to school in person were still being discussed over the New Year holiday weekend, leaving parents with little time to find support.

Bosses may not be aware that they can use the scheme to support parents, the TUC said, adding that many families would be "frantically" looking for a solution.

"Without further action, many will have no choice but to cut their hours or take unpaid leave from work," said Frances Grady, general secretary of the TUC.

"This will lead to further hardship and will hit mums and single parents hardest."

BBC Radio 5 Live has been talking to teachers this morning about the uncertainty around schools reopening..

Unions have advised teachers it is unsafe to go into schools as coronavirus cases rise across the country.

Primary headteacher Matt Jessop runs a primary school in Kendal, an area in Tier 4.

He told presenter Nicky Campbell: "We cannot make any guarantees it will be 100% safe whatsoever. We can guarantee we will do our very best."

Listen to 5 Live on the free BBC Sounds app.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that tougher measures will be announced "in due course" in England to control the spread of coronavirus.

Speaking during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London to meet some of the first people to receive the Oxford vaccine, Johnson said there were "tough, tough" weeks to come.

He added: "If you look at the numbers there's no question we will have to take tougher measures and we will be announcing those in due course."

More than three-quarters of England's population is already under the highest - tier four - restrictions.

On Sunday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the sixth day in a row.

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Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt says the UK has to recognise that it is has a “very, very virulent new strain” of coronavirus.

Hunt, chair of the health and social care select committee, called it a “national emergency”, adding that the UK was “going to need to go a lot further and a lot faster and the sooner we take these tough measures the better”.

Asked by Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour whether he was expecting a third national lockdown in the next couple days, he said: “I think it may well be the case, and if it did it would have my full support.”

He also said the majority of schools “should” remain closed until the February half-term because the NHS was in an “incredibly challenging state” at the moment.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Make no mistake, the UK is in a race against time.

That much is clear from the decision to delay the second dose of the vaccine to focus on giving as many people as possible their first doses.

So how fast can the NHS go? Ultimately it wants to get to two million doses a week.

That will not be achieved this week.

But today marks the start of the NHS putting the accelerator to the floor.

How quickly the UK can go is dependent on several complex processes.

First the vaccine has to be manufactured, then put into vials and packaged up, after that each batch has to be checked before being sent to NHS vaccination sites where there needs to be enough staff to ensure those doses are given as quickly as possible.

Problems at any one stage can disrupt how quickly the vaccination programme can be rolled out.

While there are millions of doses of each vaccine in the country and a total of 140 million of both vaccines pre-ordered, there are currently just over one million – around 500,000 of each – ready to be given this week.

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Experts have raised concerns over India's emergency approval of a locally-produced coronavirus vaccine before the completion of trials.

On Sunday, Delhi approved the vaccine - known as Covaxin - as well as the global AstraZeneca Oxford jab, which is also being manufactured in India.

Health watchdog All India Drug Action Network said it was "shocked" at the Covaxin decision., external

It said that there were "intense concerns arising from the absence of the efficacy data" as well a lack of transparency that would "raise more questions than answers and likely will not reinforce faith in our scientific decision making bodies".

India's Drugs Controller General, VG Somani, has insisted Covaxin is "safe and provides a robust immune response".

India is gearing up to vaccinate its population of more than 1.3 billon people. Amid fears that richer countries are buying up much of the vaccine supply, India too appears to be stockpiling vaccines.

In an interview with the Associated Press, external, Adar Poonawalla, whose Serum Institute of India (SII) is manufacturing the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine, said the jab was given emergency authorisation on the condition that it would not be exported outside India.

Poonawalla said his company, the world's largest vaccine maker, was also not allowed to sell the shot in the private market.

This has raised concerns in India's neighbouring countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh, which are primarily depending on the SII to start vaccinating their populations.

Read more here.

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The Japanese PM is considering declaring a state of emergency in Tokyo. Yoshihide Suga has said such measures in the capital's region may be necessary to combat a very severe third wave of coronavirus infections. It's likely to last a month from next Saturday.

Tokyo saw a record 884 new cases on Monday, more than 100 of them serious.

The emergency measures won't include school closures or be as strict as the one last spring, but Suga urged people to go out as little as possible.

The PM said there would be penalties for businesses that disobey instructions to shorten their hours.

He said he hoped Japan would begin vaccinations in late February, and he would receive one as an example.

BBC Radio 5 Live has been hearing from parents about how they are feeling about the uncertainty around schools this morning.

Single mum Claire Hughes told presenter Rachel Burden the added pressures on her when her seven-year-old son is at home are "enormous".

"There will be many mums and dads waking up with that pit of anxiety in their stomach thinking, 'How are we going to get through this?'" she said.

Listen to 5 Live on the free BBC Sounds app.

It's been a busy morning so far in the UK, so here's a reminder of the main headlines:

• An 82-year-old former maintenance manager, Brian Pinker, 82, has become the first person to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, getting the jab at 07:30 GMT
• More than half a million doses of the vaccine are ready for use in the UK this week
• Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the tier system in England is "no longer strong enough" to deal with the spread of coronavirus, with the new variant making "life much harder"
• Primary schools in most of England reopened today amid warnings from unions about safety in schools
• And Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to address the Holyrood Parliament this afternoon after holding talks with her cabinet to discuss further coronavirus measures

Many people will be wondering when their vaccination is coming.

Broadly, vaccines are being given to the most vulnerable first, covering about a quarter of the UK population.

Jabs are due to be given to members of nine priority groups, mainly according to age, but also those with serious underlying health conditions and frontline health staff and care home workers.

It could be well into later this year before the vaccinations reach people who are considered less likely to be seriously ill with Covid-19, such as the under-50s.

The government has so far ordered seven different types of vaccine and expects to receive 355 million doses - certainly enough for every adult in the UK.

You can read more on how the vaccines will be rolled out here.

The rollout of the Oxford vaccine has begun in the UK, with more than half a million doses ready to be used on day one.

With 100 million doses ordered by the UK government, this is a significant development in the country's vaccination programme - more of this vaccine has been ordered than any of the others set to be used.

It is also cheaper and easier to store than the other leading vaccines, which should make it easier to distribute. Laura Foster explains what's ahead.

As the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine begins in the UK this morning, we're hearing from some of the first people to receive it at Oxford's Churchill Hospital.

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One, music teacher and father-of-three Trevor Cowlett, 88, says he was “surprised” to get a call on Saturday about getting the jab but “absolutely delighted”.

To have this protection straight away is “a great honour”, he says, adding that he has no hesitation “whatsoever” in receiving it.

He says: “It means all the world. It gives me confidence, not that I’m going to overuse it and be foolish about it, but at least it gives me the confidence that I am protected as far as is possible”.

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Prof Andrew Pollard - director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial - also received his vaccination this morning.

He says: "It was an incredibly proud moment for me to have received the actual vaccine that the University of Oxford and the AstraZeneca teams have worked so hard to make available to the UK and the world.

"As a paediatrician specialising in infections, I know how important it is that healthcare workers along with other priority groups are protected as soon as possible - a crucial role in defeating this terrible disease."

Image source, Getty Images

Thousands of people have been lining up in Beijing to receive a coronavirus vaccine, as China aims to inoculate millions before the Chinese New Year next month.

More than 73,000 people in the Chinese capital were given the first dose of the vaccine in the first two days of the programme, state media said., external

Those receiving the vaccine included community workers and bus drivers.

China granted "conditional" approval to a vaccine by Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm on 31 December.

Read more: What do we know about China's coronavirus vaccines?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Pope Francis has criticised people who have taken off on holiday to escape lockdowns.

He called on those jumping on planes to avoid restrictions to think about the suffering of others.

"They didn't think about those who were staying at home, of the economic problems of many people who have been hit hard by the lockdown, of the sick people," the Pope said after his weekly noon blessing on Sunday.

"(They thought) only about going on holiday and having fun," he added.

"This really saddened me."

During his Christmas address, Pope Francis called on world leaders to ensure unfettered access to coronavirus vaccines for everyone.

Image source, Getty Images

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, has told BBC Breakfast he hopes the country may be able to get back to "normal ways of life" by the summer.

Asked if he can suggest a timeline for when people can go to restaurants or book a holiday, he said: "Like everybody, I'm hoping that when we get into the spring and into the summer we will be able to get more back towards those normal ways of life.

"But there's no doubt at the moment that infection rates are high, the NHS is under severe pressure, particularly in London and parts of the South East where the new variant has been accelerating in transmission.

"In the rest of the country we're also seeing pressures and of course the new variant has begun to spread."

Prof Powis stressed the need to follow government guidelines on social distancing.

He also described the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a "remarkable scientific achievement".

Shalini Sharma and Mrinali Hariyal had always enjoyed cooking - and they were good at it too. But they only cooked for family and friends.

But everything changed for them in March when India's coronavirus lockdown kept them at home with more time on their hands than ever before. And cooking is how they chose to fill their days.

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Labour is calling for stronger coronavirus restrictions and a clearer public message about the need to stay at home.

Kate Green, shadow education secretary, tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is very clear that the government has lost control of the virus, we're seeing a really alarming rise in cases and in the spread of the infection.

"I do think that we will need a stronger set of measures... but also a very clear understanding among the whole of the public everywhere that staying at home, not going out except when it is essential, not mixing socially or unnecessarily, is key to getting this virus under control."

She also says that Labour wants schools to remain open and it is the responsibility of the government “to make schools safe”.

However, she adds that "sadly more closures are inevitable".

She says that, if schools do close, there needs to be a plan for how they will reopen and reiterates Labour is pressing for a national lockdown.