Japan halts use of Moderna vaccine

Japan has suspended the use of 1.63-million doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine after receiving reports of foreign particles in the vials from some vaccination sites.

Takeda Pharmaceutical, which is the local distributor of the vaccine, and Japan’s ministry of health agreed to stop using doses from three lots, they said in separate statements on Thursday.

No safety concerns have been tied to the affected vials, and vaccinations using Moderna’s other shots in Japan will progress as usual, Takeda said.

An issue with one production line at Moderna’s contract manufacturing site in Spain may be responsible and an investigation is under way, a spokesperson for the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday the suspension will not have a big effect on the country’s vaccination programme.

Vaccinations in Japan, which started late compared to other developed nations, has progressed quickly since May.

About 43% of the population is fully vaccinated and nearly 90% of its elderly over the age of 65.

PRIME MINISTER YOSHIHIDE SUGA SAID THE SUSPENSION WILL NOT HAVE A BIG EFFECT ON JAPAN’S VACCINATION PROGRAMME

The situation is similar to a temporary halt in the use of BioNTech s vaccine in Hong

and’Macau

Kong earlier in 2021 due to a packaging defect.

It is not as severe as pauses ordered by regulators, which happened with the Johnson & Johnson shot earlier in 2021 in the US to draw attention to a rare side effect.

Still, there are concerns that even temporary stoppages can erode public confidence in the vaccines, which prevent serious coronavirus infections and deaths.

Japan has a deal for 100million doses of Moderna’s vaccine half to be delivered this year and half in 2022.

Most of the shots are being used for the country’s workplace vaccination programme through its largest companies and at mass vaccination centres run by the national government in major cities.