Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday at the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he plans to promptly release materials on the side effects from COVID-19 vaccines and the approval procedures.
"Providing accurate information on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines will enhance public trust," he said.
Suga added: "Vaccines are a decisive factor in infection control. We are making careful preparations, such as building a system to manage vaccination statuses in cooperation with municipal governments."
He reiterated that the government aims to secure the necessary quantity of vaccines for all residents within the first half of this year.
He also expressed his willingness for leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to hold meetings and consult on amendments to a bill that will revise the special measures law to cope with new strains of the novel coronavirus, which was implemented to strengthen measures preventing virus infection.
While there are strong opinions among the opposition parties that are cautious about the penalities included in the revision bill, Suga said: "To stop the spread of infection, party affiliation is irrevelent. I will take any proposal from the opposition parties seriously."
As for phone talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, Suga said, "We are now making arrangements to have it as soon as possible."
The House of Representatives Budget Committee, attended by the Prime Minister and all Cabinet members, held basic questions on the third supplementary budget plan for fiscal 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
