Insulin syringes that can increase the number of doses administered from a single vial of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine from six to seven will not be procured for the national vaccination campaign, according to regulatory reform minister Taro Kono, who is in charge of the national vaccine rollout.
Kono said there are concerns that procuring such syringes could lead to shortages for diabetics, who need them to administer insulin.
"The number is limited, so we must not cause shortages for the intended recipients. We do not recommend using them for vaccinations," Kono said to reporters after visiting a Tokyo vaccination site for the first time on Thursday.
The government intends to let medical institutions use insulin syringes for inoculations if they have a surplus.
Regarding the vaccinations, Kono said, "Although there are side effects, I hope many people will get inoculated as the vaccine is very effective."
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