Follow all the latest on the Covid-19 pandemic from around the world
10.19am BST
People aged under-40 should make sure they get their second Covid jab and not “leave the job half done”, according to the Scottish health secretary.
Cases in Scotland have risen sharply in recent weeks and about two-thirds of all newly recorded ones are under-40s.
Our message to you is clear. It’s not too late to get your vaccine and it remains vital that you get both doses in order to give maximum protection against this virus. Please don’t leave the job half done.
We are working to make it as simple as possible for people to get their vaccines, and have increased the options available for how and when people choose to be vaccinated, such as drop-in and open-access clinics.
9.43am BST
Japan is considering mixing shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other jabs as it looks to ramp up its inoculation efforts, according to the country’s vaccine minister.
Having previously relied on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use in July and it has secured around two million doses.
I have asked the health ministry to come up with an opinion about the use of AstraZeneca vaccines for the first dose and Pfizer’s with the second, or the AstraZeneca’s as the first shot and Moderna as second.