Japan could delay the vaccine timetable for the elderly COVID-19

Japan plans to start vaccinating the elderly only after the coronavirus vaccinations were administered to leading health workers, which could delay the initial start date for the elderly in April, a senior government official said.

The move is aimed at establishing a stable stock of Pfizer Inc. ‘s vaccine, which was formally approved by the health ministry on Sunday, the official said on Monday. About 3.7 million health workers will begin receiving the vaccine in March, followed by the earliest from April 1, 36 million people aged 65 and older.

However, according to another government official, it is uncertain when Japan will be able to receive subsequent consignments and how much following the tightening of export controls on vaccines from the European Union. Pfizer is also likely to delay its plan to increase production capacity from March.

Once adequate vaccinations have been ensured, vaccinations can still take place simultaneously for medical workers and the elderly in the foreground.

After giving a total of 3 million doses to the general public, Japan will investigate the possible side effects caused by various coronavirus vaccines, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.

The ministry will invite participants to respond to the survey after the vaccination for the elderly, and plans to detect common side effects such as fever and fatigue with three different vaccines, including Pfizer’s.

About 10,000 to 20,000 health workers will begin receiving their first dose of Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday. The government will collect and regularly disclose details of all side effects experienced, regardless of whether the vaccine is the cause.

It will also provide information on the safety of the vaccines obtained from the survey after vaccination has started for the general public.

The survey is expected to cover approximately 500,000 people per single dose of each version of the vaccine. A total of 3 million doses will be needed if the government includes doses through pharmaceutical products AstraZeneca PLC and Moderna Inc., along with Pfizer.

The Ministry of Health also said on Monday that pregnant women are outside the scope of a statutory provision that obliges citizens to make efforts to receive the coronavirus vaccines.

The decision was made due to a lack of adequate clinical trial data on the effects of the vaccine on unborn babies. It was approved the same day by the health council of the ministry.

Under the Vaccination Act, coronavirus vaccination is considered an extraordinary anti-pandemic program that does not force people to participate, but requires them to take action.

Among the other decisions at the meeting are that the program will be for a year and that vaccination coupons will be sent to all residents aged 16 or older.

Expected mothers can be vaccinated if doctors judge that the benefit of vaccination outweighs the risk.

Nurses are subject to the obligation to perform vaccinations. The ministry has also decided to vaccinate coronavirus-positive people.

The health conditions of those who have already experienced anaphylactic reactions to vaccines or felt ill as a result of blood samples will be monitored for shots for 30 minutes. A 15-minute follow-up is done for others.