In Japan, where two vaccinations of Pfizer and Bioentech’s coronavirus vaccination began on the 17th, a plan to inject the vaccine only once is being discussed. There is a growing concern that the supply will be disrupted due to a shortage of supplies worldwide.
Discussion at the LDP, the government is cautious
Israel “75% prevention effect of single vaccination”
– According to Japanese media such as the Mainichi Newspaper on the 23rd, at the meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s vaccine project team held on the previous day, considering the current situation in which it is difficult to obtain sufficient vaccines, it was suggested to first review a plan to inoculate many people only once. Hakubun Shimomura, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, said, “It requires political decisions, so let’s examine it in the party.”
The background lies in the research results published by the Israeli Tel Aviv Shiva Medical Center in the medical journal’Lancet’ on the 18th. The researchers followed 7214 medical staff who received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in January, and found that symptomatic Corona 19 infection decreased by 85% between 15 and 28 days after vaccination, and that the prevention effect was 75% if asymptomatic cases were included. .
On the 21st, Taro Kono, the head of the vaccine, said to NHK, “I want to start vaccination for the elderly over the age of 65 in April, but at the beginning, the quantity is bound to be limited.” Gono said the possibility of reviewing a single dose, saying, “We should consider it from now on in consultation with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.”
On the contrary, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is cautious, saying that because the use is permitted on the basis of’two vaccinations every three weeks’, a new approval process must be taken to reduce the number of vaccinations. Kato Katsunobu (加藤勝信) also showed an attitude of reservation at a briefing on the 22nd, saying, “We have confirmed the safety and effectiveness on the premise of two doses.”
Tokyo = Correspondent Lee Young-hee [email protected]
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