Japanese Vaccine Minister Determined To Get All 6 Doses From Pfizer Vials

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2021) The Japanese minister in charge of COVID-19 vaccination said Tuesday he was determined to get enough special syringes needed to get all six doses from a Pfizer vial despite supply shortages.

"It is a valuable vaccine and we are not going to waste it," Taro Kono told a news conference.

The US drug maker says so-called zero-dead space syringes are required to get an extra dose from a vial. Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato warned earlier that lack of special syringes would mean that many valuable doses would be discarded.

Japan prepares to kick off its belated vaccine rollout on Wednesday after receiving the first batch of 400,000 Pfizer vaccines last Friday. Some 40,000 frontline health workers in the priority group will be inoculated.