Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved the use of the coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and German Biotech Company on the 14th.
This is the first approved coronavirus vaccine in Japan. About 20,000 medical staff are scheduled to be the first to vaccinate the vaccine on the 17th.
According to reports, Pfizer applied to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for approval to produce and sell a coronavirus vaccine in Japan in December last year.
A special group of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare held a meeting on the 12th and summarized the conclusion that the Japanese government can simplify the review procedures and grant “extra exception approval” for the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer in the United States.
The report said that promoting the vaccination against the novel coronavirus is crucial to the successful holding of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The Japanese government’s previous coronavirus vaccination program showed that the first vaccination was targeted at about 20,000 doctors and nurses who had agreed to be vaccinated, thus confirming the safety of the vaccine.
They are scheduled to inoculate the first dose on the 17th and the second dose in three weeks.
Another 3.7 million front-line medical staff are scheduled to start vaccination in March; about 36 million people aged 65 and above will start vaccination as early as April; next is vaccination for people with basic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes and nursing home staff.
400,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine produced by Belgian factories arrived in Japan on the 12th.
This is the first Pfizer vaccine received by Japan. Kyodo News Agency reported that since the European Union has strengthened export controls on the coronavirus vaccine produced in the local area, it is not clear about the availability and delivery date of vaccine to Japan.
Taro Kono, the Japanese government’s Minister for administrative reform in charge of coordinating vaccination, has previously expressed concern about the tightening of EU vaccine exports that may affect Japan’s vaccination program.
According to Kyodo News Agency, a poll this month showed that 63.1% of the respondents were willing to be vaccinated and 27.4% were unwilling.
