Japan to allow people to mix third Covid-19 vaccine shot
Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi
Modern Tokyo Times
The country of Japan was massively behind other G-7 nations in the vaccine shot rollout. However, Japan is now moving ahead. Therefore, nations including America, France, and the United Kingdom are falling behind because a sizeable minority are unconvinced by the need to be vaccinated.
Hence, with virtually 100 million people being vaccinated with one shot and approximately 75 percent fully vaccinated, Japan is firmly focused on booster coronavirus shots. This ties in with increasingly low numbers of daily deaths and infections.
Greater flexibility is also emerging. Thus people will be allowed to have booster shots from any of the vaccines that are available (Pfizer booster shot approved but Moderna is still waiting). Until recently, Japan was reluctant to allow a different manufacturer of the vaccine to be given. However, with decreasing infections and deaths – and improved antiviral and other medications – then relative confidence is emerging.
The third booster shot will commence from the first day of December. This program will run until September the following year.
Funding will be provided by the central government and be free to all citizens who reside in Japan – irrespective of being a Japanese passport holder or non-Japanese individuals residing in the country.
Reuters reports, “Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida outlined on Friday an urgent plan to increase hospital beds and medical resources in preparation for a possible resurgence of COVID-19 infections this winter.”
Japan recently bought the antiviral pill Molnupiravir. This antiviral pill is produced by Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Similarly, the first internal vaccines and new medications are expected to enter the Japanese market next year.
https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/ – Tokyo Metropolitan Government website for updates about the coronavirus crisis in Tokyo.
https://toyokeizai.net/sp/visual/tko/covid19/en.html – Japan and Tokyo Covid-19 news with more analysis
https://covid19japan.com/ – Japan regional coronavirus statistics
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ World coronavirus statistics
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