Two men died after each was given a dose of Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine, which was suspended after the discovery of contaminants, according to the health ministry.
The two men, aged 30 and 38, died within days of receiving their second shots on 22 and 15 August, respectively, and no foreign matter was found in any of the vaccine vials used in the two. men, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, it is unknown if there is any causal relationship between the vaccination and their deaths, adding that none of them had any underlying medical illness or a history of allergic reactions.
The Japanese health ministry said on Thursday that foreign substances had been confirmed in 39 unused vials at eight vaccination sites in five prefectures. On the same day, the use of about 1.63 million doses, or three batches, which came from the same production line of a Spanish factory, was stopped as a precaution.
But Taro Kono, the Japanese minister responsible for the vaccination effort, said Friday that more than 500,000 shots have already been fired from potentially contaminated lots.
Foreign substances had been confirmed since Aug. 16, but Japanese pharmacist Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., which is in charge of selling and distributing the Modern vaccine in Japan, only reported the problem Wednesday to the ministry.
Moderna and Takeda said Saturday in a joint statement that they were working with the health ministry to investigate the two deaths.
“At this time, we have no evidence that these deaths are caused by the Modern COVID-19 vaccine,” the two companies said.
To date, more than 1,000 people have died in total in Japan after being given a COVID-19 vaccine, but health experts have not yet determined the causal relationship between receiving the vaccine and dying.
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Moderna’s contaminated vaccine was only shipped to Japan: Spanish manufacturer
Japan stops using 1.63 thousand. Modern vaccine dose above contamination
