Japan will have to delay the vaccination for the elderly. (Image via The New York Times)

Japan to delay COVID-19 vaccine for the elderly

While the mass inoculation against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Japan has not even started yet, the country wants to vaccinate the elderly people only if the frontline health workers have been inoculated. The statement came from a senior government official on Monday, giving the gist that the starting date of the vaccination for the elderly might be stalled.

The Japanese Government might have to delay the inoculation for the elderly in order to secure Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, approved by the Health Ministry last Sunday. Initially, some 3.7 million health workers are set to be administered in March, then 36 million elderly people aged 65 and older by 1 April at the earliest. However, the date remains up in the air as Japan has not received any certainty of the date and amount of Pfizer's vaccine, as the European Union is tightening the export controls on COVID-19 vaccines.

Moreover, the American pharmaceutical seems to be delaying its initial plan to increase production from March. Yet, the Japanese Government assured that if sufficient vaccines have been obtained, the vaccinations will be for the front-liners, health workers, and the elderly simultaneously.

The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare explained that after 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, they will monitor the potential adverse side event caused by the vaccine. The participants of the vaccination are invited to fill out surveys after the inoculation for the elderly in order to track side effects among the three different vaccines.

The surveys are expected to be filled out by around 500,000 people after the single dose of the vaccine. In total, 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses are necessary as the Japanese Government has landed a deal with AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer.

On 17 February, around 10,000 - 20,000 medical workers are scheduled for the first dose of Pfizer's vaccine. The side effects then will be monitored. Moreover, the Government will also provide the safety fact sheet on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines as the result of the survey for the general public.

Source: https://bit.ly/3qqR9bw