Suga: Govt. To Ensure Everyone Gets Vaccinated
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has stressed his government will ensure that everyone in the country can get inoculated, as vaccines are the key to containing the coronavirus pandemic.
Suga told a Lower House committee on Monday that he is aware of the view that Japan lags behind Western countries in authorizing the vaccines.
He said the number of infections in Japan is far lower than in Western nations, and that's why it takes time for the results of clinical trials to come out. He also said the vaccines may work differently for different races, so clinical trials on Japanese people are necessary. He added that the authorization process takes a long time because health authorities need to make sure that the vaccines are effective and safe.
The minister in charge of the vaccination program, Kono Taro, said the government is likely to be able to secure the necessary doses for the inoculations of prioritized people that it hopes to begin in mid-February.
Kono said the government aims to start giving the shots to senior citizens from April, and the vaccine developed by the US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer will be used. He said each recipient will receive the same vaccine twice.
He also said that tests are underway to see whether the existing vaccines work against virus variants, adding that some survey results show they are effective to a certain extent against certain mutations.
Kono said the government will keep the public updated with the latest information.
Transport minister Akaba Kazuyoshi answered a question about the suspended "Go To Travel" subsidy program.
Akaba said additional measures against infection should be taken so that people will be able to travel without concerns.
He pointed out that resuming the campaign in limited areas is one idea, adding that he wants to make sure that it can be restarted smoothly when the time is right.