
A medical worker receives a COVID-19 booster shot at Tokyo Medical Center in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday
December 1, 2021
The rollout of COVID-19 booster shots began nationwide on Wednesday morning with medical workers first in line to receive their third vaccine jab.
Senior citizens will be able to start receiving booster shots from next month.
As a general rule, people will be able to receive a third vaccine dose if at least eight months have passed since their second dose, and booster shots will be offered to everyone over the age of 18.
On Wednesday morning, about 18 doctors and nurses at Tokyo Medical Center in Meguro Ward waited in line to receive their third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“It is a crucial step that will bring peace of mind to patients who are receiving treatment and their family members,” said Kazuhiro Araki, the director of the facility.
“Winter has come and people are socializing more,” a nurse said. “The booster shot is preparation for a possible sixth wave.”
In Japan, inoculations with the Pfizer Inc. vaccine started in February, followed by the Moderna Inc. vaccine in May and AstraZeneca PLC.’s in August.
Vaccine efficacy diminishes over time, with the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine reportedly falling to about 50% in six months.
For people aged 60 or older, protection against severe symptoms also decreases over time, so the government is urging elderly people and patients with weak immune systems to get booster shots.
For the time being, the Pfizer vaccine will be administered in the booster campaign. In the future, the Moderna vaccine is expected to be administered at workplaces, among other locations.
People who had initially received Moderna shots will be able to receive Pfizer boosters and vice versa.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Earthquake Hits with Epicenter in Central Tokyo; No Tsunami Warning
-
Princess Aiko Delivers First Address During Official Duty; Daughter of Emperor and Empress Speaks at Opening of International Medical Conference
-
Tokyo Experiences Temperatures Exceeding 30 C for 1st Time This Year; Other Parts of Japan also See Soaring Temperatures
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Expo Fails to Achieve Pledge of Line-Free Event; Smartphone Data Shows Particular Crowding at East Gate
-
Suspicious Plastic Bottle Containing Black Liquid Found on Tokaido Shinkansen Train; Police Working to Identify Contents
JN ACCESS RANKING
-
U.S. Holds Fire Over Yen Exchange Rate Targets; Bessent Said to Understand Negative Impact on Markets
-
Rents Mark 30-Year-High Rate of Rise; Decrease in Disposable Income May Dampen Personal Consumption
-
Japanese Govt Mulls Raising Number of Cars to be Imported Under Simplified Screen System in U.S. Tariff Negotiations
-
Japan Must Boost Its ‘Indispensability,’ Urges JETRO Chair; Convince United States That Cooperation Will Be Beneficial
-
Japan Presses U.S. to Scrap 25% Auto Tariffs as Ishiba Refuses Partial Trade Deal; No Deal Without ‘Total Rollback’