Table 3 COVID-19 vaccine policies of Japan

Basic vaccination

plan

1. Phase I vaccination: February 17, 2021 for approximately 40,000 healthcare workers participating in the safety trial;

2. Phase II vaccination: In mid-March 2021, priority will be given to general medical practitioners, and doctors, nurses, first responders, and health center staff who are responsible for the treatment and handling of COVID-19 will be vaccinated;

3. Phase III vaccination: Late March 2021 for people aged 65 and older;

4. Phase IV vaccination: After April 2021, priority will be given to patients with other underlying diseases (people aged 65 with underlying health conditions; people aged 20 to 64 with underlying health conditions with chronic diseases and nursing home staff, etc.);

5. Phase V vaccination: June 2, 2021 for the general public over 16 years of age (except for specific groups such as pregnant women);

6. Phase VI vaccination: Other people outside the above phases

Vaccine procurement and supply

1. July 31, 2020, on a basic agreement with Pfizer Inc. for the supply of COVID—19 vaccine;

2. August 7, 2020, on reaching a basic agreement with AstraZeneca Corporation for the supply of COVID—19 vaccines;

3. September 15, 2020, on participation in the global common procurement framework for COVID—19 infectious disease vaccines;

4. October 29, 2020, on the conclusion of vaccine supply agreements with MODERNA and Takeda Pharmaceutical Industries;

5. December 11, 2020, signing of a supply agreement with AstraZeneca for COVID—19 vaccines;

6. January 20, 2021, contract with Pfizer Japan for the supply of COVID—19 vaccine;

7. May 14, 2021,best supply contract with Pfizer Japan for COVID—19 vaccine;

8. June 15, 2021, domestic supply of COVID—19 vaccine to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

9. July 20, 2021, agreeement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. and MODERNA for the supply of COVID—19 vaccine for next year;

10. September 7, 2021,contract with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. for the supply ofCOVID—19 vaccine for next year;

11. December 24, 2021, agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. and MODERNA for the supply of next year's COVID—19 vaccine;

12. February 14, 2022, agreement with Pfizer Japan Inc. for the purchase of additional COVID-19 vaccine this year;

13. March 16, 2022, agreement with Pfizer and MODERNA for the purchase of additional COVID-19 vaccine this year

Vaccine development

1. In May 2020, the Japanese government supplemented the budget of approximately US$1.85 billion for the development and production of COVID-19 vaccine;

2. 21 June 2021, the pace of COVID-19 vaccine development in Japan is accelerated and four biopharmaceutical companies have entered clinical trials;

3. In 2023, Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo establishes a system capable of producing 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by FY2024, the first plant to develop and apply for approval of an "mRNA" vaccine by a Japanese company

Vaccination of minors

1. August 30, 2022, approval of the Pfizer vaccine booster for use in the 5–11 year old population in Japan;

2. October 24, 2022, infants aged 6 months to 4 years who are registered as residents in Japan become eligible for vaccination;

3. February 28, 2023, vaccination of children 5–11 years of age begins in Tokyo, marking the first vaccination of children in this age group

Vaccination booster

Third vaccination dose:

1. September 17, 2021, Japan allowed booster shots to be given 8 months after the second vaccination;

2. November 15, 2021, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare amended its booster vaccination policy, deciding that a booster shot can be given 6 months after the second vaccination, indicating that the vaccine given in the booster shot can be different from the first and second shots;

3. December 1, 2021, the booster vaccination will begin to be available for groups aged 18 and older;

4. April 2022, start of booster vaccination for the 12–17 year old group;

5. August 30, 2022, when Japan approves Pfizer vaccine booster shots for the 5–11 year old population

Fourth vaccination dose:

1. May 25, 2022, start of the fourth round of vaccination: for people aged 60 years or older and for specific groups aged 18 years or older with underlying disease or a higher risk of severe disease, who also received their first booster dose at least 5 months ago;

2. July 15, 2022, the Japanese government officially expands the fourth vaccination to all medical personnel and staff of facilities for the elderly, etc.;

3. October 20, 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare decided to shorten the interval between the booster dose of the vaccine against the Omicron variant and the previous dose from 5 to 3 months

Fifth dose of vaccination for specific populations:

October 21, 2022, the fifth vaccination will be administered in Tokyo, Japan, mainly to the elderly and people at higher risk of severe disease

Vaccination Incentives

None

Compulsory vaccination

None

Supporting Policies

Vaccination vouchers are available in Japan. The COVID-19 vaccine can be administered in Japan to the following people who have received a vaccination voucher: Japanese locals aged 5 years or older, mid- to long-term residents, short-term residents who have difficulty returning to Japan (staying in Japan for more than 3 months), and people who are undergoing deportation procedures (people who have not been arrested and are under investigation, or people who have been temporarily released)