Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for booster shots sanctioned in Japan
Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi
Modern Tokyo Times
The government of Japan officially sanctioned Moderna Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine to partake in the booster program. Pfizer Inc and BioNTech have already begun the booster program in Japan.
Novavax Inc is also hoping for its Covid-19 vaccine shot to be given approval for the first time. The only other company to partake in vaccine programs in Japan is AstraZeneca.
Health Ministry officials agreed that Moderna’s mRNA vaccine should cover the ages of 18 or older. This is similar to Pfizer.
After the emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the government of Japan is determined to increase the speed of booster jabs. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in early December, said, “Currently, we are negotiating (with Pfizer) whether the supply schedule can be brought forward.”
Reuters reports, “Japan never locked down in the way that many countries did, but it also never let up on behavioral edicts and border restrictions employed before vaccines arrived.”
In recent months daily infections have fallen dramatically in Japan. The same applies to decreasing deaths (some days no deaths have been reported). However, the nature of coronavirus is chaotic. Therefore, Kishida seeks to take more precautions for the worst-case scenario.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
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