The Japanese government plans to secure enough coronavirus vaccine for every registered resident of the nation by the first half of next year.
It has signed a contract or reached an agreement with Pfizer and Moderna, both based in the United States, and Astrazeneca in Britain, to purchase a total of 290 million shots of vaccine. The government is assuming that each person will receive one or two vaccinations. If the development and approval processes go smoothly, it will help bring the government closer to its target.
If these companies apply in Japan, the government is expected to use the fast-track system under the pharmaceutical and medical devices law, which allows procedures to be simplified for confirming effectiveness and safety, and approval granted quickly. Then the government will likely start emergency imports of the vaccines.
During the 2009 outbreak of a new strain of influenza, the fast-track approval system was used to approve vaccines developed by two European companies.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's Health Science Council held a meeting Nov. 9 and reached a broad agreement that healthcare workers as well as elderly people and people with health conditions will be given priority for vaccinations. However, details will be discussed from now on, including the ages of eligible elderly people and the range of health conditions to be covered.
"Many things are still unknown regarding coronavirus vaccines, so we have no choice but to decide on a broad policy and implement that while modifying it," said Satoshi Kamayachi, an executive board member of the Japan Medical Association who attended the meeting.
Other issues include what happens after vaccines are imported. Genetic vaccines quickly lose efficacy when they are stored at ordinary temperatures. Pfizer's vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70 C, almost equal to dry ice, while Moderna's vaccine needs to be stored at about minus 20 C, the same temperature as a regular freezer. When stored in refrigerators after being thawed, Pfizer's vaccine should be used within five days and Moderna's within 30 days.
In preparation for emergency vaccine imports, the health ministry is making arrangements with an ultralow temperature freezer maker. "We're preparing to respond as soon as we receive orders from the government," said a spokesperson of PHC Holdings Corp, a Tokyo-based medical equipment manufacturer that holds the world's second-largest market share.
The government plans to purchase novel coronavirus vaccines in bulk and distribute them to municipalities according to the quantity of vaccines purchased. The health ministry has been upgrading an information system to share the status of distribution and vaccinations. In late October, the ministry asked municipalities to discuss things like necessary staff and outsourcing contractors for relevant operations.
Even so, municipalities are concerned whether they will be able to establish a system to intensively vaccinate residents in a short period of time. Kazunori Oishi, the director of the Toyama Institute of Health who is well versed in infectious diseases, said: "Public health centers across the country are now busy responding to the surging number of people infected with the virus and taking measures to contain the infection, so I'm afraid that they're failing to prepare for vaccinations. I hope there will be stronger support for municipalities."
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