TOKYO: The Japanese government Tuesday approved an action plan for its responses to outbreaks of new infectious diseases that was revised based on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the plan, Japan will promote the research and development of vaccines from before outbreaks and take powerful measures such as state of emergency declarations in times of medical crunch even when scientific findings are insufficient.

The government will implement the plan flexibly while taking into consideration the impact of measures on people’s lives. The action plan underwent a full-scale revision for the first time since the original version was adopted in 2013.

The revised plan has seven new items including vaccine and testing, bringing the total to 13 items.

Under the plan, the government will spur the research and development of vaccines, enhance testing systems and secure related human resources in normal times.

The plan also calls for strengthening the medical care provision system and stockpiling necessary supplies and resources, such as face masks.

The central government will lead coordination among local governments and other entities and give them instructions as needed.

The action plan will be examined every fiscal year and revised about every six years.

For the latest revision, a panel of experts held repeated discussions from September last year before a draft plan was released in April this year.

The government received about 190,000 comments from the public over the revision, an unusually large number for public comments on a government measure.

The latest version requires the government to take action to raise awareness about vaccinations, reflecting concerns expressed by many of those who submitted public comments. It also stipulates that sufficient consideration be given to freedom of expression when the government takes measures against false information.

“We’ll make efforts such as conducting effective drills, enhancing cooperation between the central and local governments and drawing up guidelines even in normal times,” Yoshitaka Shindo, minister for infectious disease crisis management, told a news conference.

JIJI Press