Japan PM seeks faster COVID vaccine delivery from Pfizer- media

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attends a news conference on Japan's response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, June 17, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato/Pool/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with the CEO of Pfizer Inc on Friday, requesting faster delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, the Nikkei reported, as the Olympic host nation struggles with a slow rollout of vaccine amid a surge in infections.

Suga asked Albert Bourla to accelerate the delivery of vaccines due to arrive after October, the business daily reported, as some local governments grapple with limited supply.

A government statement said the two exchanged views on ensuring the stable supply of vaccines. Suga's office and Pfizer's local headquarters could not be reached immediately on a Japanese national holiday for comment.

While Japan's vaccine rollout has ramped up rapidly, a slow start compared to other developed nations means only 35% of the population has had at least one shot as the Olympics begins, according to a Reuters tracker.

(Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by William Mallard)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions -
https://agency.reuters.com/en/copyright.html