Japan to administer new bivalent vaccine in booster shots

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Japan to administer new bivalent vaccine in booster shots

A health care worker prepares to administer a booster shot in Hachioji on the outskirts of Tokyo in December. Asahi Shimbun file photo Japan plans to administer a new type of vaccine in booster shots that are designed to protect people from the Omicron variant of the novel coronaviruses, the health ministry said.

The bivalent vaccine will be available to people who have received two doses of existing vaccines, starting with elderly people and those with underlying health conditions, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

The central government, working together with local governments, will begin preparations to provide bivalent vaccine inoculations to the entire population.

The policy to use the new vaccine was approved at a ministry meeting on August 8.

The ministry, based on the opinions of an advisory panel on COVID- 19, has decided to issue a recommendation in early September that parents should make utmost efforts to vaccinate their children aged 5 through 11 under the Preventive Vaccination Law. The ministry will not make such inoculations compulsory.

The bivalent vaccine is designed to defend against BA. An early strain of the novel coronaviruses is an Omicron subvariant.

Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. are working on their own versions of the bivalent vaccine.

Trial runs showed that the new vaccine is more effective than existing vaccines in producing neutralizing antibodies that can defend against an array of Omicron variants.

The U.S. companies said that their vaccines also offer better protection against BA. The Omicron subvariant 5 is now the dominant strain in Japan.

The ministry estimates that the inoculation interval for the bivalent vaccine is about five months, according to the results of clinical trials.

Pfizer applied for Japanese government approval for its bivalent vaccine on August 8. The vaccine could be imported starting in September, if approved for regulatory approval, according to the ministry.

Ministry officials say they expect no problem in getting enough doses of the new vaccine for all people who have received two shots of existing vaccines.

Japan is currently providing booster shots for certain segments of the population, including second boosters for health care workers and those 60 or older.

Some experts said the ministry should advise the population not to pass up the available vaccine because of the anticipated arrival of the new vaccine.

One of the members said the existing vaccines provide a degree of protection against the spread of the novel coronaviruses. People should be informed not to shun them when they come at hand. The ministry approved inoculations of children 5 -- 11 after it became clear that current vaccines can help to defend this age group against the Omicron family.

The data presented to the panel meeting on August 8 showed that children in this age group have a low risk of developing serious symptoms during the two months after their second doses.

The panel said that about 80 percent of infected children could be saved for hospitalization if they are vaccine-vaccinated.

The panel said no signs have been detected that raise concerns about the safety of the vaccines as long as their possible side effects are monitored.

Many panelists endorsed the ministry's recommendation to vaccinate this age group, noting that the number of infections among children has increased in recent months, and some are listed in serious condition.

In July, children represented a significant portion of the new COVID 19 cases, according to the ministry.

Children under the age of 10 accounted for 14 percent of the new infections, while those aged 10 to 19 made up 16 percent of the total last month.