Starting Next Month: Booster Shots to Begin

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Japanese government is expected to begin administering a third dose (booster shot) starting next month for those who have completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 16th, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's expert subcommittee approved this policy at a meeting held the previous day.

For the time being, only the Pfizer vaccine will be used for the booster shots, and cross-vaccination will be allowed for those who previously received the AstraZeneca (AZ) or Moderna vaccines.

The approval review for the third dose using the Moderna vaccine is currently underway, and if approved, it is being considered to utilize it in workplace vaccinations starting from March next year after further discussion.

The booster shots will initially target all individuals aged 18 and older who have completed two doses, without prioritization.

However, the policy particularly recommends the third dose for the elderly, those with underlying conditions, caregivers (those who care for patients or the elderly), and healthcare workers.

The subcommittee decided that those who have passed approximately eight months since their second dose will be eligible for the third dose, but vaccination after six months will be allowed based on local government decisions.

Noriko Horiuchi, the vaccine minister, emphasized at the meeting held on the 16th that "the principle is to have an interval of more than eight months after the second dose," according to Kyodo News.

She added that allowing vaccination after six months is an "exceptional treatment."

The Japanese government also approved on the same day a policy to conditionally lift restrictions on the number of participants in large-scale events and restaurant users even if a state of emergency is re-declared due to the spread of COVID-19.

This plan aims to ease measures to prevent infection spread for those who possess vaccination certificates or negative test certificates.

Daishiro Yamagawa, the minister in charge of economic revitalization, mentioned vaccination and the distribution of therapeutic drugs, stating that "behavioral restrictions can be eased to some extent."

In Japan, the number of new daily confirmed cases recently announced by authorities has decreased to below 200, but there are also predictions that the so-called sixth wave, indicating the sixth major outbreak, will come early next year.

The Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 16th that according to the "Hirata Model," a prediction system developed using artificial intelligence (AI) by Professor Akimasa Hirata of Nagoya Institute of Technology (Medical Engineering), the sixth wave is expected to occur between mid-January and February next year.

This model is based on the so-called "120-day cycle" hypothesis, which suggests that COVID-19 infections spread rapidly at an average interval of 120 days.

Although the number of confirmed cases slowed down despite a surge in crowds since mid-August this year, leaving scholars puzzled about the reason, the AI predicted that "even if crowds increase, confirmed cases will decrease after late August," bringing attention to the Hirata Model.

However, the reason why this cycle occurs has not yet been identified.

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