Japan began giving the COVID-19 booster sots on Wednesday for those who had their second vaccine dose at a minimum of eight months ago due to increasing concerns over an outbreak of a new Omicron variant.
The third dose of a vaccine sourced through Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE was given to health professionals. Elderlies and everyone else should receive their booster shot starting from January to avoid the spread of infection and the severe signs.
The government decided to offer booster shots after discovering that vaccine-induced immunity to infection diminished over time.
While the effectiveness of booster shots against the new coronavirus variant isn’t apparent, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided that Japan is joining other nations in administering booster shots per the scheduled schedule.
The Omicron variant, which is classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization, was confirmed in Japan for the first time on Tuesday. And on the following day, a second case surfaced.
According to the current guidelines in Japan, individuals over 18 are eligible to receive the booster shot. Those with a greater risk of developing severe symptoms, like people who are elderly or who work in high-risk jobs, will be urged to receive the third dose.
Toshio Nakagawa, President of the Japan Medical Association, said at a news conference that regarding the new Omicron situation, the government should entirely focus on getting booster shots to as many individuals as fast as possible.
He also stated that it would be difficult for each municipality to change the schedule simultaneously. “I want (the government) to increase the transparency of the vaccine supply schedule so that people will not be confused.”
It is essential to keep in mind that the only booster shot permitted by the government is the Pfizer vaccine for now. Do not fret though, if you have got a different brand vaccine previously, you can still receive this booster shot.
Source: Kyodo
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