Japan OKs Moderna’s COVID-19 booster shots 6 months after 2nd dose

TOKYO. KAZINFORM - A Japanese health ministry panel approved Wednesday the administration of U.S. biotechnology firm Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 booster shots at least six months after an individual aged 18 or older has received their second dose, Kyodo reports.

The third dose will use half the 0.5 milliliter amount used for each of the first two shots. Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is the second to be approved for use as booster shots in Japan after Pfizer Inc. received the green light last month.

Japan has set an eight-month interval «in principle» between second vaccination shots and a booster but has been working to bring forward the third shots following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., which is in charge of sales and distribution of the Moderna vaccine in Japan, applied for approval last month to administer a third shot with a shortened interval of at least six months.

The drugmaker's vaccine is expected to be used in the rollout of booster shots for the general public beginning in January, as well as for workplace vaccinations starting in March.

Japan is due to receive 50 million doses of Moderna next year. But as the dosage will be halved for booster shots, the supply will yield at least 1.5 times more shots at 75 million.

The government began administering third doses of Pfizer's vaccine to health care workers from earlier this month, with those for the elderly set to start in many municipalities in January.