Today's top coronavirus headlines include a rollout of vaccines for children aged 12-15, new vaccine trials to fight Covid-19 in Manchester, and a Covid-19 vaccine in the works for children aged five to 11.
In case you missed them, we've put together some teasers below and links to full articles.
Here are the most-read stories from Manchester today (Monday, September 20).
Latest UK case and death numbers
A further 49 people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, according to the latest government figures.
A further 36,100 cases have also been recorded in the past 24 hours.
NHS covid-19 vaccine rolled out for children aged 12-15
The government has approved the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12-15 in the UK.
After accepting advice from the Chief Medical Officer, the rollout will reach nearly three million children eligible for one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Consent letters will be sent out to parents and guardians which will include important information regarding the vaccine.
Staff are aiming to vaccinate this age group before the October half term.
Trials begin on new vaccine to fight Covid-19 variants in Manchester
A new jab to fight Covid-19 variants is currently being trialled in Manchester.
It is hoped that the new vaccine could offer longer-lasting immunity than currently available vaccines.
The initial trial involves participants aged 60 and over and is taking place at the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Clinical Research Facility (NIHR MCRF) at Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT).
Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine works for children aged five to 11
Pfizer has said its coronavirus vaccine works for children aged five to 11.
The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is already available for anyone 12 and older.
The company said it will seek US authorization for the age group soon.
For primary school-aged children, Pfizer tested a much lower dose – a third of the amount in each jab given now.
