this is outside source live from the bbc newsroom. our lead story is the head of his ministers consider deploying new defensive forces to central and southeastern europe in the face of russia s ongoing threat to ukraine. all children across the uk from the age of five up are to be offered a coronavirus vaccine. from the age of five up are to be the uk government sjoint committee on vaccination and immunisation has issued new guidance recommending the move. wales and scotland had already decided to go ahead with it, and england and northern ireland will follow suit. here s the uk health secretary. today, we ve accepted the independent advice of the jcvi. that s our group of independent expert advisers on vaccination. their advice is to make an offer, a nonurgent offer of the covid vaccine to five and 11 year olds. this follows the approval
to rely too much on it. that s all the sport for now. back to you, rebecca. children between the ages of five and 11 are to be offered a covid 19 vaccine in scotland. it follows the same decision in wales. 0ur health editor hugh pym spoke to us earlier. nothing official has come through and the normal sequence of events going back to previous decisions for different age priorities has been that the jcvi, the expert different age priorities has been that thejcvi, the expert committee on vaccinations, who have a remit to offer advice to all the uk nations, come up with a recommendation and then ministers immediately say whether they will follow up in the nations and that has happened but what has happened this time, it seems the jcvi what has happened this time, it seems thejcvi passed on its advice to ministers at westminster and
medicines regulator, that has looked at this vaccine and deemed it a safe and effective. and we have not accepted this offer. it is also fair to say that children are at less risk, to them, from covid than adults, and that despite the focus on the nhs when it comes to covid vaccination will in adults and other younger people address. vaccination will in adults and other younger people address. because they are not that much younger people address. because they are not that much rest, younger people address. because they are not that much rest, because - younger people address. because they are not that much rest, because of- are not that much rest, because of the situation at the moment, the finer restrictions lifting, is it right to really start giving children these vaccines? is it really that necessary?- children these vaccines? is it really that necessary? this is the independent really that necessary? this is the independent advice really that necessary? this is the indep
somewhat. so the boosterfor that age group is very welcome at the moment and follows the jcvi age group is very welcome at the moment and follows thejcvi advice. but beyond that, clearly there are a number of issues surrounding more vulnerable people that we haven t heard about. we have heard a little bit about an anti viral task force but the question is, when will we be able to offer anti virals to particularly vulnerable people? already we have a set of people we can give anti virals to but it is quite small compared to the larger number of people who are at increased risk from covid so i think this is an issue we need to address. we need to address the provision of testing for our more vulnerable people, particularly, especially, those we would ultimately offer anti virals too, that they can have rapid testing so we can get
for international travel. the government will also expire all temporary provisions of the coronavirus act. of the original 40, 20 have already expired and 16 will expire on the 24th of march. the last four, relating to innovations in public service, will expire six months later after we have made those improvements permanent through other means. second, we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccines and treatment. the uk government has procured enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible jcvi recommendations. and today we are taking further action to guard against a possible resurgence of the virus. accepting jcvi advice for a new spring booster offered to those aged 75 and older, to older care