TOKYO (AP) – Japan on Wednesday launches its COVID-19 vaccination campaign after the government gave the first late approval for a shot co-developed by Pfizer Inc. which the United States and many other countries began using two months ago.
Some in Japan, where the relatively rare side effects of vaccines tend to recur, are in no hurry to get the shot. This reluctance could prove to be a big problem for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for this summer after a year of delay. Vaccines are considered a key to celebrating games.
With the development of domestic vaccines still in its early stages, Japan, which depends on imports, is facing uncertainty in its supply. It is also unclear whether the Japanese health system, you already have, will be able to treat additional visitors during games while juggling local patients and mass inoculations.
The AP examines why Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, is so late to coronavirus vaccination.
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WHY THE DELAY?
This is mainly due to the fact that the government requested clinical trials in Japan, in addition to Pfizer’s multinational trials, which did not include Japan.
Dozens of countries accepted the results of the Pfizer tests published in November and moved forward. Pfizer applied for emergency approval in Japan in December, based on data overseas, but Tokyo waited for the results of Japanese tests presented in late January before giving the green light on Sunday.
All this happened in two months, much faster than the average of a regular year in Japan, known for being prudent and bogged down by bureaucracy.
The approval process for another vendor, AstraZeneca, only recently began, while a third, Moderna Inc. it has not yet been presented in Japan.
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WHY DID JAPAN REQUEST MORE DATA?
People in Japan are often skeptical about vaccines and officials believe they need to address security issues thoroughly.
Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said last week that Asians accounted for “only a small percentage” of the Pfizer tests, which were conducted from July to November on some 44,000 people in six countries.
However, this means that the data includes samples from about 2,000 Asians. Some critics wonder if the additional tests of just 160 Japanese added anything except more delay.
Taro Kono, minister of administrative reforms for vaccinations, defended the delay. “It was more important for the government to show the Japanese people that everything had been done” to encourage them to take the vaccines, he said.
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WHY IS TRUST SO LOW IN JAPAN?
Japan’s distrust of vaccines for decades. Many people have a vague discomfort with vaccines, in part because their side effects have often been reduced.
In the 1990s, the government eliminated mandatory vaccinations after a court ruling held it responsible for the side effects related to several of them.
More recently, Japan stopped recommending the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine after the media reported alleged side effects, renewing concerns despite widespread use of the vaccine abroad as a safe and effective protection against cervical cancer.
A recent poll by the Mainichi newspaper showed that less than 40% of respondents are eager to receive their coronavirus shots immediately, while about 60% said they will wait to see.
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WHAT IS JAPAN’S VACCINATION TIME?
About 40,000 front-line medical workers treating patients with COVID-19 are expected to receive the first Pfizer vaccine vaccines at 100 hospitals. Half of them will participate in a survey of side effects and subsequent health checks to try to alleviate public safety issues.
About 3.7 million other medical workers will be next. Older people are expected to have their turn in April, ahead of those with underlying health issues.
It will be approximately in June when those over 16 will be eligible.
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DOES JAPAN HAVE A VACCINE PROSE?
Despite its late start, in July, Japan rushed to negotiate with Pfizer and two other companies, AstraZeneca and Moderna, in July, when vaccines were still being developed.
Japan has reached 344 million doses, enough to cover its entire population, by the end of this year. This includes 144 million doses of Pfizer, 120 million of AstraZeneca and 50 million of Moderna.
Japan pledged to secure doses for its entire population in June, but the outlook is uncertain amid shortages in Europe, where large supplies of Pfizer and AstraZeneca are produced.
Taro Kono, the minister in charge of vaccinations, on Tuesday described the prospects of getting vaccines on time as “difficult”. Although he expressed optimism, he said that Europe’s supplies will determine the progress of the campaign in Japan.
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IS JAPAN DEVELOPING ITS VACCINES?
Several Japanese companies and research organizations are developing coronavirus vaccines, but they are in the early stages.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. will distribute the Modern vaccine and produce the Novavax vaccine at home, and JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. will produce the AstraZeneca vaccine under a license agreement.
Currently, only AstraZeneca is in the process of approval.
Experts say vaccine development in Japan has become an unpopular research area because of the risks, time-consuming process, and lack of government funding.
Shigeru Omi, the head of the government’s coronavirus working group, has cited the lack of global competitiveness of Japanese pharmaceutical companies as a reason for the delay in deployment.