TOKYO (AP) – Japan launches its COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Wednesday after the government gave the first late approval to a vaccine co-developed by Pfizer Inc. that the US and many other countries started using a few years ago. two months.
Some in Japan, where the relatively rare side effects of vaccines tend to intensify, are in no hurry to get the vaccine. That reluctance could be a big problem for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for this summer, after a year of delay. Vaccination is considered the key to the games.
With the development of domestic vaccines still in their early stages, import-dependent Japan faces uncertainties in their supply. It is also unclear whether the already strained Japanese health care system will be able to treat extra visitors during games while they juggle with local patients and mass vaccines.
The AP examines why Japan, the world’s third largest economy, is so far behind in its quest for vaccination against coronavirus.
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WHY THE DELAY?
It is mainly because the government has requested clinical trials in Japan, in addition to Pfizer’s multinational tests, which did not include Japan.
Dozens of countries accepted Pfizer’s test results released in November and moved on. Pfizer applied for emergency approval in Japan in December, based on data from abroad, but Tokyo waited for the results of Japanese tests presented in late January before giving the green light on Sunday.
All of this happened in two months, much faster than the annual average that is common for Japan, known for being cautious and stuck in bureaucracy.
The approval process for another supplier, AstraZeneca, has only recently started, while a third, Moderna Inc. has not yet applied in Japan.
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WHY DID JAPAN ASK FOR MORE DATA?
People in Japan are often skeptical of vaccines, and officials felt they needed to address safety issues fully.
Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said last week that Asians accounted for “only a small percentage” of Pfizer tests, which were carried out from July to November on about 44,000 people in six countries.
Even so, this means that the data included samples from about 2,000 Asians. Some critics question whether the additional tests on just 160 Japanese have added anything – except more delays.
Taro Kono, minister of administrative reform for vaccinations, defended the delay. “It was more important for the government to show the Japanese people that everything was done” to encourage vaccination, he said.
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WHY IS TRUST SO LOW IN JAPAN?
Japan’s distrust of vaccines has been around for decades. Many people have a vague concern about vaccines, in part because their side effects are often emphasized.
In the 1990s, the government canceled mandatory vaccines after a court decision found it responsible for side effects related to several of them.
More recently, Japan stopped recommending the human papillomavirus vaccine, or HPV, after media reports of alleged side effects, renewing concerns, despite the widespread use of the vaccine abroad as a safe and effective protection against cervical cancer.
A recent survey by the Mainichi newspaper showed that less than 40% of respondents are eager to get their coronavirus vaccines immediately, while about 60% said they will wait and see.
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WHAT IS THE JAPAN VACCINATION TIMELINE?
About 40,000 medical professionals who treat patients with COVID-19 are scheduled to receive their first injections of the Pfizer vaccine at 100 hospitals. Half of them will participate in a side effects survey and subsequent health checks to try to alleviate concerns about public safety.
About 3.7 million other medical professionals will be next. The elderly are expected to take their turn in April, ahead of those with underlying health problems.
It will be around June when those over 16 are eligible.
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DOES JAPAN HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE?
Despite its late start, Japan was quick to close deals with Pfizer and two other companies, AstraZeneca and Moderna, in July, when vaccines were still being developed.
Japan has secured 344 million doses, enough to cover its entire population, by the end of this year. This includes 144 million doses from Pfizer, 120 million from AstraZeneca and 50 million from Moderna.
Japan has pledged to guarantee doses for its entire population by June, but prospects are uncertain amid scarcity in Europe, where many of the supplies from Pfizer and AstraZeneca are produced.
Taro Kono, the minister in charge of vaccination, on Tuesday described the prospects of getting vaccines in time as “difficult”. Although he expressed optimism, he said supplies from Europe will determine the progress of the campaign in Japan.
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IS JAPAN DEVELOPING ITS OWN VACCINES?
Several Japanese companies and research organizations are developing vaccines against coronavirus, but are in the early stages.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. will distribute the Moderna vaccine and produce the Novavax vaccine at home, and JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. will produce the AstraZeneca vaccine under a licensing agreement.
Only AstraZeneca is currently in the approval process.
Experts say vaccine development in Japan has become an unpopular area of research due to the risks, the lengthy process and the lack of government funding.
Shigeru Omi, head of the government’s coronavirus task force, cited Japanese pharmaceutical companies’ lack of global competitiveness as a reason for the delayed launch.