Japan to Give COVID-19 Vaccine Twice Yearly to Risky Groups

Tokyo, Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--An expert panel of Japan's health ministry approved a plan Wednesday to allow people at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot twice a year from April.

People aged 65 or older, those with underlying conditions and others at high risk will be inoculated against the novel coronavirus preferentially between May and August.

Those not included in the high-risk groups will receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot once a year between September and December, according to the panel.

The vaccinations will be carried out under a publicly funded emergency vaccination program under the immunization law. The program will be extended by one year until March 2024.

The ministry will continue discussions on whether to shift the COVID-19 vaccinations to routine inoculations, for which recipients may have to partially pay the costs.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]