Japan plans to offer booster shot by year end at earliest

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry decided on Friday to offer a third dose of coronavirus vaccine, possibly before the end of this year. In line with precedent set by inoculation campaigns overseas, the ministry plans to give the booster jabs to people who have gone at least eight months since receiving their second dose.

The plan was endorsed by the Subcommittee on Vaccination and Vaccines, an expert panel with the ministry’s Health Science Council. Although a specific start date has yet to be decided, the ministry envisions giving medical professionals priority access when rolling out the booster shot in waves beginning within this year at the earliest.

Studies have shown that the antibodies gained by receiving the two-shot regimen fall to less than a quarter of their full level, six months after receiving the second dose. A third shot can help boost antibody levels and offer a degree of supplemental protection against the emergence of more infectious virus variants.

As of Thursday, 65% of the nation’s eligible population had received a first dose of vaccine and 53% had received a full two doses. In light of these vaccination rates, many subcommittee members said it would be important to focus on providing two doses to everyone who wants them, before making the booster doses widely available.

On Sept. 8, the World Health Organization called for a moratorium on booster vaccines in developed countries until the end of this year, so that developing countries can secure supplies to inoculate more of their populations. The WHO request was cited by the subcommittee as warranting consideration.

In the United States and some European countries that got a jump start on vaccinations, coronavirus cases have still surged, driven by the highly-infectious Delta variant.

Since August, after confirming the existence of “breakthrough” infections — cases of people contracting the virus even after receiving the recommended two doses — Israel, France and Germany began offering a third shot to individuals at high risk of becoming severely ill. The United States and Britain have both plans to launch booster shot campaigns of their own.

An Israeli study found that people who had received a third dose of vaccine were 11 times less likely to test positive for coronavirus. However, there is only a small sample size available at the moment. Some studies have claimed that two doses provides long-lasting protection against serious symptoms.

VACCINE MIXING

The ministry has also now decided to approve mixing and matching, at a doctor’s discretion, for people who experienced anaphylaxis or other serious side affects after receiving their first shot.

The second shot should be administered at least 27 days or more after the first. According to the ministry, a total of 464 people had experienced severe anaphylactic reactions after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in Japan as of Aug. 22. (Sept. 19)