Japan to Receive Pfizer Vaccine for 72 M. People

Tokyo, Jan. 20 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government has concluded a formal contract with Pfizer Inc. to receive its COVID-19 vaccine for some 72 million people by the end of this year, the health ministry said Wednesday. Previously, the government had made a basic agreement with the U.S. pharmaceutical giant to obtain the vaccine for 60 million people by the end of June. Last month, Pfizer asked the ministry to give approval for use of the vaccine in Japan. The company is expected to provide the ministry this month with data on a clinical trial of the vaccine conducted in Japan. The ministry is likely to give fast-track approval to the Pfizer vaccine as early as mid-February. Vaccinations are expected to start late next month, beginning with medical workers. The government aims to secure enough doses for all eligible citizens during the first half of this year. "We are asking for as many doses as possible" in the first half of the year, health minister Norihisa Tamura told reporters, while declining to comment on the detailed supply schedule. Japan has also agreed to receive doses for a total of 85 million people from U.S. biopharmaceutical startup Moderna Inc. and Britain's AstraZeneca PLC. For the Pfizer vaccine, the ministry plans to secure some 10,000 freezers by the end of June to store the shot at minus 70 degrees Celsius. The first batch of 1,500 freezers will be deployed by the end of next month. It plans to designate some 10,000 vaccination sites nationwide at which the freezers will be installed. END