TOKYO, March 7. / TASS /. The Japanese government may approve the use of another coronavirus vaccine in the country in May this year. This was announced on Sunday by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, Norihisa Tamura.
"There is a possibility that the regulator will approve [another vaccine] in mid-May or June," the Kyodo agency quoted him as saying. In February, the Japanese Ministry of Health approved the use of the drug by the American company Pfizer.
To date, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZenec and the American company Moderna have also submitted applications for registration of their vaccines in Japan.
Vaccinations in Japan began on February 17. At the first stage, 40 thousand medical workers were vaccinated, later this process should cover about 4.7 million Japanese doctors. At the second stage, residents of the country over 65 years old will be allowed to vaccinate, of whom there are about 36 million in Japan. By May, vaccines may become available for other categories of citizens.
To date, according to the Japanese authorities, since the start of vaccination in the country, there have been two cases of anaphylactic reaction to the drug from Pfizer. Within a short time after vaccination, the vaccinated showed a strong allergic reaction, but after taking the necessary medicines, their condition improved. The Japanese Ministry of Health is currently investigating both cases.
The Japanese health authority is also now investigating whether the death of an elderly woman vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine is related to a reaction to the drug. According to the Ministry of Health, a woman aged 60 to 70 died of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The department also said that in other countries, no cases of connection between vaccination and subarachnoid hemorrhage have been recorded to date.