Covid-19: Jabs for healthy 12 to 15-year-olds not recommended and Australia-UK vaccine swap

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow.

The UK's vaccine advisory body has refused to give the green light to vaccinating healthy children aged 12 to 15 years old on health grounds alone. As children are at such low risk from the virus, they decided that vaccination would offer only "marginal gain" and, therefore, there was "insufficient" evidence to offer mass vaccination for this age group. But the JCVI said the government could consider wider issues including disruption to schools. Meanwhile, an extra 200,000 teenagers with underlying conditions will now be eligible for two doses.

The EU and UK-Swedish drug-maker AstraZeneca have settled a row over a shortfall in coronavirus vaccines that affected the European rollout earlier this year. AstraZeneca has agreed to deliver 200 million doses of its vaccine, which had been promised under a contract, to the EU by the end of March 2022. Earlier this year AstraZeneca angered European Commission officials when it said it could only deliver a fraction of the doses agreed for the first three months of 2021. The commission accused the company of breaking an August 2020 advanced purchase deal while AstraZeneca hit back, arguing that the contract only required its "best effort" to deliver millions of vaccine doses on time.

Officials have opened an investigation into PCR testing firm Expert Medicals following complaints that Covid test results had not been provided on time or at all. The competition watchdog warned a further 19 firms about advertising misleading prices. It comes after a review that found customers often faced poor service, hidden fees and refund issues.

Australia says it has secured an extra four million doses of the Pfizer vaccine from the UK in a swap deal. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the extra vaccines will help his country come out of its lockdowns sooner. About half of Australia's population is currently in lockdown due to outbreaks in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Under the deal, Australia will send the same number of doses back to the UK later in the year.

A collection of 51 statues has gone on display as a gesture of thanks to NHS staff and other key workers in the pandemic. The feature, named Gratitude, will remain on show in Manchester's St Peter's Square until 12 September, before it is taken to Edinburgh and London. The statues, each decorated by a different artist, will eventually be auctioned to raise money for NHS Charities Together.

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With experts recommending a third Covid vaccine for those with severely weakened immune systems who are over 12, here's what you need to know about the vaccine and booster jabs.

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