Japan Approves Domestic Use Of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

Sumaira FH Published July 30, 2021 | 01:32 PM

A Japanese health ministry panel on Friday approved the domestic use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Britain's AstraZeneca Plc

TOKYO, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2021 ) --:A Japanese health ministry panel on Friday approved the domestic use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Britain's AstraZeneca Plc. for people aged 40 and older in principle due to a supply shortage of vaccines, local media reported.

The central government will supply the vaccine to local governments depending on their demand, with a schedule for safety research, possibly conducted by Self-Defense Forces personnel, due to haunting worries over rare side effects.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare speeded up the approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine in May, but the government delayed supplying the doses, because of concerns on reported rare cases of blood clots among the young overseas.

In Britain, a government advisory body suggested people under the age of 40 get an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine as rare cases of blood clots and low platelet count are observed.

Japan's inoculation program currently utilizes the vaccines developed by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc.