Moderna applies for COVID-19 booster shot approval from Japan’s health ministry -NHK

FILE PHOTO: Vials with a sticker reading, “COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only” and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

TOKYO (Reuters) - Moderna Inc applied for approval from Japan’s health ministry on Wednesday to use their COVID-19 vaccines for booster shots, broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday.

Japan plans to start administering booster shots from December this year, and has already approved the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for a third round of vaccinations on Thursday.

If approved, Moderna’s vaccine would become the second to be approved for booster shots in Japan.

About 74% of Japan’s population has been fully vaccinated as of Thursday according to NHK. The country is currently seeing a fall in cases following a fifth wave of the pandemic that peaked in August.

(This story refiles to add NHK attribution in headline.)

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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