The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry decided on Monday to lower the minimum age for receiving the novel coronavirus vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. from 16 to 12. The decision was approved at a subcommittee meeting of the Health Sciences Council, the advisory body to the health minister. On the same day, the ministry notified local governments of the expansion of the target population.
Vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 will require parental consent. The timing of sending vaccination coupons will be decided by each local government depending on the progress of vaccination efforts.
The number of infection cases per 100,000 people aged 10 to 19 years old in Japan was 468 as of May 26, which is higher than the figure for those in their 60s (371) and 70s (335). The ministry decided that expanding the target population would be highly effective in controlling the epidemic.
In the company's overseas clinical trials, the vaccine's efficacy in reducing the incidence of the disease was 100% in 12- to 15-year-olds, compared to a 95% efficacy rate for those 16 and older. The frequency of side effects after the second shot was 78.9% for pain at the vaccination site and 66.2% for lethargy, about the same as levels seen in the 16-25 age group. Anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction, was not observed.
The Pfizer vaccine is one of two vaccines currently in use in Japan. The other, developed by U.S. biotechnology firm Moderna Inc., is for people 18 and older. With the expansion of the target age group, the number of people eligible for vaccination will increase by about 4.3 million to about 110 million. The government says that it has enough vaccine for two doses for all eligible people, with 194 million doses of Pfizer vaccine and 50 million doses of Moderna vaccine.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
