[앵커]
Japan faced an unexpected challenge that it would start vaccinations for medical workers in the middle of next week.
Among Pfizer’s vaccines secured amid global supply shortages, 12 million people could be thrown away if they wrongly fit.
Tokyo Correspondent Lee Kyung-ah reports.
[기자]
The Japanese government has signed a contract with Pfizer of the United States to supply vaccines capable of vaccinating 72 million people.
The first vaccination in Japan is expected to begin as early as the 17th after official approval for use on the 15th.
But with the vaccination right before my nose, an unexpected problem was revealed.
I thought I could get 6 shots with a bottle of vaccine, but only 5 times.
The Japanese government only confirmed at the end of last month that to get all the vaccine out of the bottle, a special syringe is needed, not previously acquired.
[타무라 노리히사 / 일본 후생노동성 장관 : 특수 주사기가 있어야 6번 분량이 나온다는 겁니다. 당장 모든 사람의 접종에 필요한 만큼 이 주사기를 확보하지 못했습니다. 의료 제품 제조사에 증산을 요청했습니다.]
If a regular syringe is used, a part of the vaccine remains inside due to the structure, so the amount of vaccine is insufficient for 6 shots.
For this reason, the Japanese government has hurriedly guided each local government to reduce the number of vaccinations per bottle to five before vaccination next week.
If all Pfizer vaccines are inoculated with regular syringes, the amount left unused is expected to reach up to 12 million.
[가토 가츠노부 / 일본 내각관방장관 : 사용하고 남은, 다 접종하지 못한 약품은 기본적으로 폐기하는 것으로 알고 있습니다.]
The Japanese government only says that it is very difficult to obtain this special syringe, but does not disclose how much it is currently.
Amid the global supply shortage, there is a growing possibility that a large amount of the vaccine that has been difficultly secured will be discarded without being able to use a single syringe.
This is Kyungah Lee from YTN in Tokyo.
[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
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