COVID-19 vaccination in Japan

COVID-19 vaccination in Japan started later than in most other major economies.[4] The country has frequently been regarded as "slow" in its vaccination efforts.[5][6]

COVID-19 vaccination in Japan
Japan map by prefecture. Percentage of people got fully vaccinated by population as of 8rd of September 2022.[1]
Date17 February 2021 (2021-02-17) – present
LocationJapan
CauseCOVID-19 pandemic in Japan
TargetFull immunisation of people in Japan against COVID-19
Organised byMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Participants77,098,247 people have received at least one vaccine dose
(7 September 2021)
61,995,078 have been fully vaccinated (received both vaccine doses, 7 September 2021)[2][3]
Outcome81.8% of the Japanese population has received their first dose of a two-dose vaccine
80.6% has been fully vaccinated
58.8% has received a booster shot
WebsiteMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Yoshihide Suga, the prime minister of Japan vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine

Japan has so far approved Pfizer–BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford–AstraZeneca for use. In early October 2021, data from the government shows that 60.9% of people have had their second dose, while 71.3% have received first shot.[7] Today, 79 percent of Japanese people have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine; 20 percent have received a third (booster) dose.[8]

Background

On 14 February 2021, Pfizer was approved by the government of Japan,[9] and was deployed on 17 February 2021.[10] On 28 May 2021, Pfizer was approved by the Japanese health ministry panel for adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years.[11]

On 21 May 2021, Moderna and Astrazeneca were approved by the government of Japan.[12]

Vaccines on order
Vaccine Approval Deployment Doses secured
(million)[13]
Pfizer–BioNTech 14 February 2021 17 February 2021 194
Moderna 21 May 2021[12] 23 May 2021[14] 100[15][16]
Oxford–AstraZeneca 21 May 2021[12] 16 August 2021[17] 120
Janssen 20 June 2022[18] No
Novavax 19 April 2022[19] 26 May 2022 150[20]

Note: Japan has donated 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Taiwan and 1 million doses to Vietnam. There are plans to send additional 2 million doses to these countries. Japan has also donated 1 million doses each to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.[21] Japan also donates over 2 million doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine to Iran through COVAX. [22]

Vaccines in trial stage
Vaccine Country of origin Type (technology) Progress Ref
AG0302-COVID‑19
AnGes Inc., AMED		 Japan DNA vaccine (plasmid) Phase II–III (500)
Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled
Nov 2020 – Apr 2021, Japan		 [23][24][25][26]
S-268019
Shionogi		 Japan Subunit Phase I–II (214)
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group.
Dec 2020 – Jun 2022, Japan		 [27]
DS-5670
Daiichi Sankyo		 Japan RNA Phase I–II (152)
A Phase 1/2 Study to Assess the Safety, Immunogenicity and Recommended Dose of DS-5670a (COVID-19 Vaccine) in Japanese Healthy Adults and Elderly Subjects.
Mar 2021 – Jul 2022, Japan		 [28][29][30]
KD-414
KM Biologics Co		 Japan Inactivated SARS‑CoV‑2 Phase I–II (210)
Randomized, double blind, placebo control, parallel group.
Mar 2021 – Dec 2022, Japan		 [31][32]
EXG-5003
Elixirgen Therapeutics, Fujita Health University		 Japan, United States RNA Phase I–II (60)
First in Human, randomized, placebo-controlled.
Apr 2021 – Jan 2023, Japan		 [33]

History

In April 2021, prime minister Suga Yoshihide announced that Japan will receive 50 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine after a meeting with the company's CEO.[4][34]

The roll out of the vaccines in Japan, with 4 percent of the population inoculated as of May 21, 2021, has led to criticisms of slow approval, disruptions on import, and the lack of medical professionals.[35][36] A poll conducted in April showed that more than 60 percent of people were dissatisfied with Japan's vaccine rollout, with experts stating that it was too late now to stop the spread of variants with vaccines.[37]

On May 21, 2021, several municipal governments in Kanagawa Prefecture were getting rid of their Moderna vaccine stocks as the doses are near their expiry date.[38] On June 5, 2022, around 740,000 Moderna doses will be disposed of due to being expired.[39]

Distribution issues

2020 Summer Olympics
See also: 2020 Summer Olympics § Biosecurity protocols

References
  1. Japan COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: Prefectures Map. By George Karabassis. Click on the 1M and 2x buttons on the bottom right of the map to produce the map shown above.
  2. "Ongoing Topics - Novel Coronavirus Vaccines". Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  3. "新型コロナワクチンについて".
  4. Kanishka Singh (2021-04-18). "UPDATE 1-Japanese PM, Pfizer CEO discuss delivery of additional vaccine doses in 2021 to Japan". Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  5. "Japan's slow vaccination process as Tokyo 2020 looms". CNN. April 26, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  6. Blake Essig, Emiko Jozuka and Ben Westcott (April 14, 2021). "With 100 days until the Tokyo Olympics, Japan has vaccinated less than 1% of its population. That's a problem". CNN. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  7. "Over 60% in Japan fully vaccinated against COVID-19". The Japan Times. 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  8. cycles, This text provides general information Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct Due to varying update; Text, Statistics Can Display More up-to-Date Data Than Referenced in the. "Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Japan". Statista. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  9. "Japan approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, 1st for domestic use". Nikkei Asia. 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  10. "Japan gives first COVID-19 vaccinations to Tokyo health workers". The Japan Times. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  11. "Japan to approve Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds". Kyodo News. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  12. "Japan issues final approval for Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines". The Japan Times. 2021-05-21. Archived from the original on 2021-05-21.
  13. "Japan gives preliminary OK to 2 more COVID-19 vaccines". Associated Press. May 20, 2021.
  14. "自衛隊員にモデルナ製ワクチン 国内初、大規模接種会場を運営". Tokyo Shimbun. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  15. "新型コロナウイルスワクチンの供給に係るモデルナ社及び武田薬品工業株式会社との契約締結について" (PDF). Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. October 29, 2020.
  16. "新型コロナウイルスワクチンの来年に向けた供給に係る武田薬品工業株式会社及びモデルナ社との契約締結について". Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. July 20, 2021.
  17. "Japan begins using AstraZeneca vaccine in bid to step up inoculations". The Japan Times. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  18. "J＆Jワクチンを国内で承認 5種類目、接種は自己負担". Kyodo News. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  19. "Japan greenlights Novavax vaccine, shots to start as early as May". Mainichi Shimbun. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  20. "来年の新型コロナワクチンの供給に係る武田薬品工業株式会社との契約締結について". Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. September 7, 2021.
  21. "Japan to give 6 mln doses of vaccines to Taiwan, 5 SE Asia nations". Reuters. June 25, 2021.
  22. "Japan Donates over 2 Million Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine to Iran through COVAX - Society/Culture news". Tasnim News Agency. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  23. "About AnGes – Introduction". AnGes, Inc. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  24. "Study of COVID-19 DNA Vaccine (AG0301-COVID19)". ClinicalTrials.gov. United States National Library of Medicine. 9 July 2020. NCT04463472. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  25. "Study of COVID-19 DNA Vaccine (AG0302-COVID19)". clinicaltrials.gov. United States National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 11 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. "Phase II / III Study of COVID-19 DNA Vaccine (AG0302-COVID19)". clinicaltrials.gov. United States National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 11 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. "Safety and Immunogenicity of an Intranasal RSV Vaccine Expressing SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein (COVID-19 Vaccine) in Adults". jrct.niph.go.jp. Japan Registry of Clinical Trials. Retrieved 21 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. "Daiichi Sankyo Initiates Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in Japan" (PDF) (Press release). Daiichi Sankyo. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  29. "Daiichi takes mRNA COVID-19 vaccine into clinic as Japanese R&D belatedly fires up". Fierce Biotech. March 22, 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  30. "Study of DS-5670a (COVID-19 Vaccine) in Japanese Healthy Adults and Elderly Subjects". clinicaltrials.gov. United States National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 12 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. "Japan's KM Biologics begins clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine candidate". Reuters. 22 March 2021.
  32. "20歳以上65歳未満の健康成人、及び65歳以上の健康な高齢者を対象に、COVID-19に対するワクチン（KD-414）の安全性及び免疫原性を検討するための、プラセボを対照とする多施設共同二重盲検ランダム化並行群間比較試験". jrct.niph.go.jp. Japan Registry of Clinical Trials. Retrieved 7 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. "Safety and Immunogenicity of EXG-5003". clinicaltrials.gov. United States National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. "Japan to receive 50 mil. additional doses of Pfizer vaccine". April 21, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  35. Kosaka, Makoto; Hashimoto, Takanao; Ozaki, Akihiko; Tanimoto, Tetsuya; Kami, Masahiro (2021-06-02). "Delayed COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Japan". The Lancet. 397 (10292): 2334–2335. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01220-4. ISSN 0140-6736. PMC 8172150. PMID 34089658.
  36. "EXPLAINER: Why Japan has been slow to roll out vaccinations". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  37. McCurry, Justin (26 April 2021). "Japan's slow Covid vaccine rollout casts cloud over Olympics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-04-26. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  38. "Japan local gov'ts to dump large stocks of almost expired Moderna COVID vaccine". Mainichi Daily News. 21 May 2022.
  39. "740,000 Moderna doses scrapped due to expiration in 27 Japan cities". Mainichi Daily News. 5 June 2022.
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