Metres, the first of three titles for Team Gb on day 11 in tokyo. Hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or Around The World. The uks four chief medical officers are expected to decide within days whether to recommend vaccinating healthy children against coronavirus. Yesterday the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, which advises the uk government, decided against recommending the jabs for 12 to 15 year olds, saying the Health Benefits were marginal. Its believed the government think theres a strong case for going ahead. Heres our Health Correspondent Catherine burns. America has been doing it since may. More than 10 Million 12 to 15 year olds there have had a Covid Vaccine. Other countries are, too, including canada, brazil, france, the netherlands, italy but not the uk. Regulators approved vaccines as safe and effective for this Age Group in the summer, but Thejoint Committee on vaccination and immunisation� s job is to decide if its necessary. Its answer not for every iz is year old. For the healthy children, the Risk Benefit Balance is really very uncertain and very tight. Normally what we do when we recommend vaccination for children is we see a very clear benefit that clearly outweighs any possible risk. And in The Absence of that clear blue water, if you like, between those two, we prefer to advise that healthy children should not for the moment be immunised. Covid doesnt tend to make children very sick, so the benefits of vaccinating them have to be weighed up against the risks like myocarditis, inflammation of the heart. It is a very rare complication from Pfizer And Moderna vaccines, and affects young people more. They tend to recover quickly, but thejcvi wants to know more about the longer term effects. But some of the 3 Million 12 to 15 year olds across the uk will be invited for a vaccine. 150,000 were already eligible because they have conditions including down� s syndrome or immune problems. Same, too, for another iia,000 teenagers because they live with someone who is immunosuppressed. And now that has been extended to another 200,000 children with a wider range of conditions like heart problems, epilepsy or poorly controlled asthma. So as schools go back, teenagers who are most likely to be severely affected by coronavirus will be able to get a vaccine. The experts have made this call purely on the health of children, not other factors like missing time in education. The next step, the chief medical officers in england, scotland, wales and Northern Ireland have been asked to weigh up those other factors, which means this decision could change one way or another in the next week or so. The Deputy Chair of Thejoint Committee on vaccination and immunisation, professor Anthony Harnden, said he would understand if the government did decide to go ahead with immunising healthy 12 to is year olds, against the jcviS Recommendation. I think its really important to realise that the decisions we have made have been bold and the government have listened to them and accepted them, and we have been correct right the way through. But the previous decisions have all been fairly clear cut to us, this decision or this advice is not clear cut, there is equipoise here. I think its reasonable for the government to seek advice about other aspects, which the committees, its got a Lot Expertise but one thing it hasnt got expertise on is educational issues. And i think its quite reasonable that the government, given this equipoise that we have, go ahead and have a look at it from an educational point of view. So i dont feel uncomfortable about this. I think we have done our job, we have looked at the data, we have not resisted, you know, weve resisted a lot of pressure in terms of people making pronouncements but we have actually coldly looked at the data, its in front of us, we will publish it, and the Health Benefits for vaccinating well 12 to 15 year olds, from a health perspective, for them themselves, is marginal. Lets speak to our political correspondent, helen catt. Thats firmly throwing the ball into the politicians� court, that� s firmly throwing the ball into the politicians� court, and it seems the politicians� court, and it seems the government is under pressure from several sides to go against the jcvi recommendation. figs from several sides to go against the jcvi recommendation. From several sides to go against the jcvi recommendation. As we have said throu~hout jcvi recommendation. As we have said throughout this jcvi recommendation. As we have said throughout this pandemic, jcvi recommendation. As we have said throughout this pandemic, advice jcvi recommendation. As we have said throughout this pandemic, advice is i throughout this pandemic, advice is advice, its ministers who have to decide, and they will take a number that recommendation from thejcvi that recommendation from the jcvi there but as you heard that� s looking at it on a very narrow field, looking specifically at the Health Benefits and risks of Vaccination Versus Covid in children. So the government, the four nations have asked the chief medical officers of the nations to factor in things like disruption to children� s education, and actually the main Opposition Party in the uk, labour, so there is a strong case for vaccination to avoid further disruption to education, but they say the government should be doing more in terms of things like ventilating schools, but they say there is a strong case to be made for vaccination. There is a strong case to be made forvaccination. So there is a strong case to be made for vaccination. So ministers will have to listen to what the chief medical officers say, looking at these things in the round and then make their decision based on that. We expect that to happen in the next few days, because of course children are now back at school for the autumn term, so we are expecting that decision fairly quickly. It is also expected the chief medical officers will work together jointly, it is not expected we will see a situation, for example, where you could see teenagers being vaccinated in one part of the uk but not another, that is not expected to happen. Another, that is not expected to ha en. ~ , another, that is not expected to ha en. ~. , another, that is not expected to hauen. , let� s speak now to paul hunter, professor of medicine at university of east anglia. Thank you forjoining us. It seems thejcvi� S Recommendation is being questioned by various size, isn� t it . It questioned by various size, isnt it . ,. ,. , , it . It is, and we have seen this many times it . It is, and we have seen this many times during it . It is, and we have seen this many times during the it . It is, and we have seen this l many times during the outbreak, during the pandemic so far, that decisions like this are often questioned on both sides of the argument. I think thejcvi is quite right in that benefits to the child individually in terms of their health is marginal and is still, the balance is very tight. I think they� re absolutely right to make the recommendation that they did based on the criteria that they use. And don� t forget, jcvi has been criticised a lot in the past, particularly over their decision to recommend increasing the gaps and ultimately that was the correct decision. But there are wider issues. The balance, really, is whether you give a medical intervention like a vaccination to a child for more wider social benefits, or whether you say, child for more wider social benefits, orwhetheryou say, if child for more wider social benefits, or whether you say, if i� m going to give an injection to a child, i have to be sure that that is actually going to benefit that individual child� s health, and i think that� s the ethical issue here. How much can you weigh other, non health criteria against this decision . And that is, i suspect, Thatis Decision . And that is, i suspect, that is not going to be easily resolved amongst different opinions around this. fit resolved amongst different opinions around this. U, g around this. Of course, the Jcvi Looked specifically around this. Of course, the Jcvi Looked specifically at around this. Of course, the Jcvi Looked specifically at the around this. Of course, the Jcvi L looked specifically at the benefits for the children themselves, rather than the wider impact on society, which we were conned onto in a moment. But we will come onto in moment. Do you think enough consideration was given to the presence of long covid in children . I given to the presence of long covid in children . In children . I havent seen the deliberations in children . I havent seen the deliberations of in children . I havent seen the deliberations of the in children . I havent seen the l deliberations of the committee. In children . I havent seen the i deliberations of the committee. I in children . I havent seen the deliberations of the committee. I am sure the Committee Members would have been aware of recent evidence on a long covid and the uncertainties around that evidence, and so yes, i� m pretty sure they would have taken that into some form of consideration. But, you know, i haven� t seen the minutes of the meeting so i don� t know for certain. Do you have sympathy for consternation that has come from certain sections such as parents and schools and other medical experts as to the fact that this is something thatis to the fact that this is something that is happening in other countries Around The World but not here, those who are concerned about the fact that children are not going to get the jab . That children are not going to get The Ab . , � , that children are not going to get The Ab . , 2. , that children are not going to get theab . , 2. , � , the jab . Yes, but its not. Its been painted the jab . Yes, but its not. Its been painted as the jab . Yes, but its not. Its been painted as very the jab . Yes, but its not. Its been painted as very much the jab . Yes, but its not. Its been painted as very much a, i the jab . Yes, but its not. Its. Been painted as very much a, we the jab . Yes, but its not. Its been painted as very much a, we are alone in deciding against this. Currently, the World Health Organization is not recommending vaccinations for these, this Age Group either. And there� s a wider ethical issue about if we are going to be vaccinating children for a relatively marginal benefit when there� s vaccines could be used elsewhere in the world, where many people who are still at high risk of severe Disease And Death not able to get hold of vaccines because of hoarding of vaccines in the west. So there are a lot of difficult ethical questions around this, as i am sure you are aware. Questions around this, as i am sure you are aware you are aware. There are, and i am sure we will you are aware. There are, and i am sure we will go you are aware. There are, and i am sure we will go on you are aware. There are, and i am sure we will go on to you are aware. There are, and i am sure we will go on to give sure we will go on to give considering this and discussing this in the days to come, but for now, thank you for your time. Mi; thank you for your time. My pleasure the head of pakistan� s Intelligence Agency, faiz hameed, has arrived in the afghan capital, kabul, as taliban leaders continue to meet representatives from foreign governments. Pakistan has consistently denied allegations that it covertly supported the taliban during the last two decades of conflict. The taliban are set to announce a new government within days, but the European Union and britain have said they won� t be recognising it. Meanwhile us secretary of state, antony blinken, is scheduled to travel to Qatar And Germany for talks on the afghanistan crisis. Both countries are key Transit Points for the evacuation of afghans from kabul. Antony blinken has been speaking about the situation in the country in the past few hours. He said any new government should be as broadly based as possible. First, as we� ve said and as countries Around The World have said, there is an expectation that any government that emerges now will have some real inclusivity, and that it will have non talibs in it who are representative of different communities and different interests in afghanistan. So we will see what in fact emerges. It comes as the taliban say they� re making advances in their efforts to oust the last remaining armed opposition in the panjshir valley, just a few hours from kabul. The group has posted this footage of its fighters, claiming that they� re on high ground on the outskirts of panjshir. It shows captured humvee Military Vehicles flying the taliban flag although it� s not clear precisely when it was filmed. Anti taliban Resistance Leaders have strongly denied that they� re losing control of the territory in fighting. Panjshir is a mountainous region, famous for holding out against the Soviet Army in the 1980s, and the taliban in the 1990s. Thousands of anti taliban fighters are thought to have gathered there. The former afghan Vice President , amrullah saleh, is in the panjshir valley. He claims he� s the true Caretaker President , and says reports that he� s fled the country are baseless. I am in the panjshir valley. The reports concerning my escape from afghanistan are totally baseless. I am here. We have had several meetings regarding the situation. No doubt, the situation is difficult. We have been under invasion of the taliban, their alqaeda allies, terrorist groups from the region and beyond, as usual backed by the pakistanis. We have held the ground. We have resisted. The resistance is not going to surrender, it� s not going to bow to terrorism and it� s going to continue. There are difficulties, but i have not fled, i have not escaped. So, i want to assure you through this video that everything said to this moment, that i have been injured or i have fled, are baseless fake news. In a tense week of final evacuations from afghanistan, scenes of desperation have been viewed across the world. One moment that went viral showed a mother handing her baby over a barbed Wire Wall and into a Us Marine� s arms. The baby was taken to hospital and treated by a british medical team. 0ur Reporterjohn Maguire has the story. It was one of the most striking images of the chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan. Such was the desperation of herfamily, a Baby Girl was held high above their heads as a Us Marine grabbed her arm and hoisted her over Barbed Wire and into the arms of a waiting colleague. They were part of what British Forces described as a sea of humanity, people crushed against the walls of kabul airport, often with little regard for personal safety, their only thought to escape the returning taliban. When women and children are being crushed and, yes, dying in some cases in your arms, your agency to deal with the situation and change it is very different than when you� re on combat operations. There was emotions all the way through the operations. You can� t see a young child, a baby, a woman, crushed to death in front of you and then you having to deal with the aftermath of that. You can� t see any of that without being emotional. Have there been tears . Of course there have been tears. Politicians continued to argue about who knew what and when, but the thousands outside the safety of the perimeter believed this to be a matter of life and death. The royal Air Force flew out 111,000 people, twice the number that had been anticipated. And for the british troops sent in to form a thin Green Line to enable people to leave country, the mission was exhausting, complex and often dangerous. In the airport� s military hospital, british and coalition medics treated Gunshot And Blast injuries, a significant number of people who� d been crushed in the crowds outside and an unexpectedly high number of children. Among them, the Baby Girl, who was reunited with her mother, and they left afghanistan. In common with all those who escaped so far, they now face a journey potentially even longer as they adapt to new lives in foreign lands far away from their home. The headlines on bbc news. A mass Covid Vaccine roll out for 12 to 15 year olds could still go ahead in the uk despite a decision by the government� s scientific advisors not to support it. Us secretary of state, antony blinken, is scheduled to travel to Qatar And Germany for talks on the afghanistan crisis. Gps in the uk are forced to delay Flu Jabs because of a shortage of hgv drivers which has disrupted supplies. Some Gp Surgeries in england and wales have begun cancelling appointments for the winter Flu Jab, after delays to the delivery of doses of the vaccine. A shortage of Lorry Drivers is believed to be behind the problem. Doctors have warned it will have a serious impact on workloads and patients. 0ur Correspondent Helena Wilkinson has this report. This year� s Flu Campaign is set to be the largest in history. More than 35 Million people in the uk will be offered the jab on the nhs. News of a delay to some Flu Vaccine Deliveries is causing concern and cancellations. Seqirus, which supplies vaccines to Gp Practices and pharmacies in england and wales, have told their Customers Supply would be disrupted due to unforeseen Road Freight challenges. It is believed to be because of a shortage of Lorry Drivers. The company warned of a delay of up to two weeks. It� s advising gps not to book patients in until they have confirmation of delivery. A two Week Delay has a massive impact on our Flu Vaccine Programme because the clinics are already set up, many surgeries already have a lot of vulnerable patients booked in, we like to get going early on in september, ready for the winter. So this is really, really worrying. Doctors are already dealing with a chronic shortage of Blood Test tubes. Supply chain issues have been blamed for that. The British Medical Association said delays to Flu Vaccine Deliveries caused a huge increase in staff� s already unsustainable workloads, adding that it created unneeded anxiety for patients. Helena wilkinson, bbc news. Professor Anthony Harnden sits on the government� Sjoint Committee on vaccination and immunisation. He explains why the Flu Jab is so important this winter. Clearly, Influenza Immunisation this year is really important and the reason its so important is because, due to lockdowns, weve had very low circulating Influenza Levels last winter. We do know when there are low circulating Influenza Levels the year before, often, we get high Infection Rates in the following year. So its quite possible that we will have a high incidence of influenza this year. So its really important to get the Influenza Immunisations, and really important to get it as soon as possible, so it is of concern there are delays. But hopefully this will be corrected soon and well get on in General Practice, we always do, and deliver a really good Immunisation Programme for flu. And ijust hope that those who are eligible, which as you see are a much wider group, the over 505, and of course those with underlying illnesses and children and young people between two and 18 years of age, take up the Flu Vaccine when they are offered it. To discuss more on this, i� m joined ljy to discuss more on this, i� m joined by a gp. Thank you forjoining us. How is he is deeply this shortage is . I how is he is deeply this shortage is . ~ ~. , how is he is deeply this shortage is . ~. , how is he is deeply this shortage is . ~. ,. , how is he is deeply this shortage is . ~ ,. ,. , how is he is deeply this shortage is . ~. , is . I think it could be a real issue for patients is . I think it could be a real issue for patients and is . I think it could be a real issue for patients and general is . I think it could be a real issuej for patients and General Practice, and of course if General Practices in trouble then patients are in trouble. It� s notjust a question delaying it, it� s all the cancellations of many, many clinics, many appointments which have already been booked in, and we know that patients already have a challenge getting through to reception. Those receptionists are now going to be tied up, phoning other patients to cancel their appointments. We also think that as we are just hard, not only is it likely that flu will be a higher risk this year, that we will have more cases, but also they are likely to start sooner because that� s what we have seen from other viruses that children have got. {lin viruses that children have got. On that note in terms of the delay to deliveries, do you think there is more that could have been done to pre empt and prevent this . Or is it something that wasjust pre empt and prevent this . Or is it something that was just simply unforeseeable . Something that was ust simply unforeseeable . H something that was ust simply unforeseeable . Unfortunately in Aeneral Unforeseeable . Unfortunately in General Practice, unforeseeable . Unfortunately in General Practice, we unforeseeable . Unfortunately in General Practice, we spend unforeseeable . Unfortunately in General Practice, we spend our i unforeseeable . Unfortunately in General Practice, we spend our lives went into planning and not often being quite certain when the vaccines are going to come in until the last moment. It has been a challenge for the World Health Organization to decide which 0rganization to decide which vaccines, which strains of flu to put in the vaccine this year because they normally go on what was circulating last year but the companies that make the vaccines have got up to speed, they have had them ready for delivery. I am very, very sad to see that now, an Hgv Driver Problem which, of course, is nothing to do with the production of vaccines, is what has resulted in this. But i do really worry that people are going to die. And if we have more people ending up in hospital this year, we always come on an average year, have about 11,000 people dying of flu but many more ending up in hospital, if we end up with higher numbers of people in hospital this year and more people in hospital because of covid surges, as it will inevitably do as winter comes along, that will lead to more unsustainable pressure is on the nhs and people� s operations, routine operations, will be cancelled. So frankly, it� s a bit of a disaster. Cancelled. So frankly, its a bit of a disaster a disaster. Given that worrying icture a disaster. Given that worrying picture you a disaster. Given that worrying picture you paint a disaster. Given that worrying picture you paint of a disaster. Given that worrying picture you paint of what a disaster. Given that worrying | picture you paint of what might a disaster. Given that worrying picture you paint of what might be ahead, what can be done at this stage to try to minimise the damage . The first thing i would say is if you have got a Flu Vaccine booked already, please don� T Contact your practice because the receptionists and Office Staff are all fully tied up and Office Staff are all fully tied up trying to contact everybody. Please wait to be seen. If you have a vexing appointment coming up in the next couple of weeks and you haven� t heard a Vaccine Appointment and you haven� t heard, do check with your practice beforehand, hopefully you will have been contacted by them. But if your appointment is cancel, please don� t keep bringing the practice to ask when they will come in. We will let you know but we� ve been told by seqirus that we cannot start booking the appointments until about a week before the vaccines arrive, which means there is going to be a Real Surrey at the General Practice and to try to get patients in. A Real Surrey. To try to get patients in. A real surre. ~ , to try to get patients in. A real surre. , ~ i. , to try to get patients in. A real surre. , ~. , let� s return to the situation in afghanistan let� S Cross live to our correspondent danjohnson, who is monitoring the developments in afghanistan for us from delhi. The arrival of the pakistani Intelligence Agency chief, housing is that . ,. , Intelligence Agency chief, housing is that . ,. ,. , is that . Significant and for some it will be dismaying, is that . Significant and for some it will be dismaying, it is that . Significant and for some it will be dismaying, it will is that . Significant and for some it will be dismaying, it will be will be dismaying, it will be evidence that pakistan is indeed close to the taliban, the first to reach out and offer assistance. 0ther Reach Out and offer assistance. Other countries have been trying to engage with the taliban, but it is a major development that the head of pakistan� s intelligence agencies In Kabul, meeting with his alabaster but also with taliban Security Leaders to discuss the way ahead in terms of bringing some structure, some power and the government to afghanistan for the future now. {iii afghanistan for the future now. Of course, this is a contrast to antony blinken, who is going to Qatar And Germany but not engaging with the taliban, so again, how significant is that in contrast to what the head of pakistan� s Intelligence Agency doing . Its of pakistans Intelligence Agency doin. . ,. , of pakistans Intelligence Agency doinu . ,. , of pakistans Intelligence Agency doing . Its apparent that america and the western nations doing . Its apparent that america and the western nations are doing . Its apparent that america and the western nations are going doing . Its apparent that america and the western nations are going to doing . Its apparent that america and the western nations are going to be i the western nations are going to be reliant on other voices doing the direct communication for them, not as pakistanis, qatari and turkish officials have also been In Kabul in recent days. Notjust pakistanis. Uks recent days. Notjust pakistanis. Uk� s Special Envoy was in doha so there is discussion between the western forces that have left afg ha N Ista N western forces that have left afghanistan about the future of the country but inevitably, the new neighbours of afghanistan, Pakistan And Iran are the ones that will face issues in terms of refugees coming over the border, security threats, and they also have ties with that country anyway, so i think those are the sorts of relationships that will start to grow and develop as afghanistan finds its future. Thank ou. You� re watching bbc news. Police patrolling one of the longest coastlines in the uk have been gifted a Jet Ski to help them tackle antisocial behaviour on the water. The watercraft, donated to essex police� s marine unit, is already making a difference, according to officers, giving them better and faster access to hard to reach areas. Jozef hall has more. Brightlingsea harbour, situated on the mouth of the Colne Estuary where it meets the blackwater and thames estuaries. It� s idyllic, but not always. Until three months ago, little could be done to crack down on anti social behaviour, both here and along the rest of essex� s 562 miles of coastline. But now they� ve been given an £18,000 present, courtesy of maldon district council. Clearly the Jet Ski is powerful and it� s quick. We are barely doing 20 knots. The manufacturer says it will go upwards of 90. But it� s notjust speed that this offers essex police. It really does give us an Extra Marine resource, which is on top of our existing resources of a 42 foot launch boat, the alert 4, and our sentinel, which is our rib. The personal watercraft really does give us that extra bit of capability in terms of entering into previously inaccessible waterways such as shallow water, and narrow waterways. Afterjust three months in operation, already it� s alloweing officers to not only police these waterways but to reinforce the positives, as well. I want to be really clear that we� re not here to ruin anyone� s fun, but ultimately, these can be dangerous vessels in the wrong hands so my plea to people is, if you� re going to ride them, ride them responsibly, get the right training and be well equipped and stay safe. Now, it� s time for a look at the weather with sarah. We� ve got some slightly warmer and sunnier weather on the cards over the next few days, particularly across parts of Southern England and where is where it has been quite cloudy recently. Today, some sunshine around, mainly dry. There will be a bit more cloud hanging on through north eastern england and Eastern Scotland so an Odd Spot of drizzle, and a breeze coming off the north sea, is a relatively cool for newcastle towards aberdeen, but for the south and west, we are likely to see highs of 22 or 2a and lighter winds than recent days. Quite a bit of sunshine holding up through the evening, overnight, most cloud will be across northern and north eastern parts of the uk, but not a cold night. Temperatures between 11 and 15 first thing tomorrow. Tomorrow brings a mostly dry day for many areas, some long spells of sunshine, that a cloud drifting around for a part of central and eastern england. Rain for northern england and Western Scotland later in the afternoon. Before it gets there, a fairly warm day with highs of 17 25. Goodbye