Foreign Substance Found Again in Moderna Vaccine in Japan... Our Government "Checking Domestic Same Product"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] As foreign substances in Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been repeatedly found in Japan, our government has begun verifying whether the products are also distributed domestically.

On the 29th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, regarding reports of additional foreign substance discoveries in Moderna vaccines in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, that they are "checking the related batch numbers."

According to local Japanese media on the same day, black foreign substances were found in Moderna vaccines scheduled for use in the afternoon at a mass vaccination center in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, leading to a suspension of vaccinations.

Earlier, on the 26th, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that foreign substances had been mixed into unused Moderna vaccines at multiple vaccination facilities in Japan and decided to suspend the use of vaccines manufactured through the same process as those containing foreign substances.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed that the Moderna vaccines distributed in Korea before August were produced at a manufacturing site in Spain, and after checking the batch numbers of domestic Moderna vaccines, there were no batch numbers matching the products for which Japan's Ministry of Health announced a suspension.

The Moderna vaccines introduced domestically in August were imported from a manufacturing site in the United States.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is currently verifying whether vaccines with the same batch numbers as those reported with additional foreign substances in Okinawa Prefecture are distributed domestically.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.