Japan to start new round of COVID-19 vaccination from May for elderly

TOKYO. KAZINFORM - Japan plans to launch a fresh round of COVID-19 vaccinations from May, starting with the elderly, those with underlying medical conditions and healthcare professionals, health ministry officials said Wednesday, Kyodo reports.

The ministry's plan, which also includes expanding inoculations to the rest of the public from September, was approved at a panel comprised of health experts, heads of local governments and others.

The fresh inoculation drive comes despite the government's decision to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as common infectious diseases like seasonal flu on May 8.

«As the effects of vaccinations could diminish in six months to one year, it is good to provide an opportunity for vaccination around spring and summer. With the inoculation system installed through much of the year, (authorities) can deal flexibly according to the infection status of the pandemic,» one of the panel members said.

From May to August, the government plans to administer vaccines developed to target the Omicron variant to those aged 65 and above, those with underlying medical conditions, healthcare professionals and workers at nursing homes, they said.

The broader public would be targeted from September to December, and the type of vaccines to be used during the period will be decided at an early date in fiscal 2023 starting April, according to the officials.

Vaccinations for children aged 6 months to 11 years, which began last year, would also continue in fiscal 2023.

The vaccines will be free of charge, as the government will extend by one year its special measure enabling free coronavirus vaccine shots, which will expire at the end of March.

A panel of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare decided at its meeting on Feb. 8 that the next round of vaccinations should start in the fall or winter of 2023 at the latest, with the elderly and others at high risk the primary target before vaccination expands to others.

In Japan, the administration of coronavirus vaccines was launched in February 2021, starting with health care professionals, and later expanded to the general public. The government also began providing Omicron-customized shots from fall last year.

Photo:kyodonews.net