TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2021) As many as 125 medical employees received a COVID-19 vaccine in Japan on the first day of the national inoculation program launched on Wednesday, media reported, citing the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
According to Kyodo news agency, the preliminary vaccination is held at eight medical institutions of Japan.
The news outlet notes, citing economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, that no cases of anaphylaxis - an acute allergic reaction to the drug - were recorded on the first day of vaccination.
On Tuesday, Taro Kono, the cabinet minister in charge of the country's vaccination efforts, said that Japan will start its coronavirus vaccination campaign on Wednesday by inoculating about 40,000 medical employees. According to the minister, vaccinated medical employees will constantly keep a diary to explore the safety of the vaccine before receiving the second shot three weeks later.
On February 12, Japan received the first batch of 400,000 doses of the vaccine from Pfizer's factory in Belgium. Kono said that next week, Japan would receive its second shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine from Europe.
Kono added that the authorities were planning to start vaccinating elderly people in April.
