Kishida Japanese Prime Minister "Considering Possibility of Shortening Booster Shot Interval"

▲Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has indicated that he is considering changing the principle of administering the third dose (booster shot) of the COVID-19 vaccine to adults 8 months after the second dose.

According to NHK on the 2nd, Prime Minister Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in the morning that regarding whether to shorten the interval for the booster shot, "The original principle was to administer the vaccine with an 8-month interval, but we are considering the possibility of advancing it depending on conditions such as the occurrence of cluster infections."

In Japan, the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine began yesterday targeting about 2 million healthcare workers. Starting next month, the third dose will begin for about 36 million elderly people aged 65 and over.

With the confirmation of two cases of the new Omicron variant infection in Japan before and after the start of the booster shots, there are increasing calls to accelerate the third vaccine dose.

There are claims that the principle of administering the third dose to those who have passed 8 months after the second dose should be changed.

In response, Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated until the day before that "there is currently no change in the plan."

However, Prime Minister Kishida left open the possibility of shortening the vaccination interval today.

According to a report by Yomiuri Shimbun on the same day, Prime Minister Kishida is expected to announce a policy in his speech at the extraordinary Diet session convened on the 6th to "advance the third vaccine dose as soon as possible without waiting 8 months after the second dose," based on the spread of the Omicron variant.

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