TOKYO: The government plans to offer vaccinations against the new coronavirus free of charge to all citizens in Japan, informed sources said Wednesday.

The government is set to shoulder all costs to secure by the end of June next year sufficient supplies of coronavirus vaccines that are currently being developed in Japan and abroad. It will spend 670 billion yen from its reserve funds under fiscal 2020 supplementary budgets to secure COVID-19 vaccines.

The policy of providing free coronavirus vaccinations will be unveiled at a meeting of a health ministry advisory panel as early next week, according to the sources.

With the envisaged free vaccinations, the government aims to encourage the public to get COVID-19 vaccinations promptly soon after the vaccines are developed.

The government also hopes to prepare better for possible simultaneous outbreaks of coronavirus and seasonal influenza.

With the United States and Britain currently leading the development of coronavirus vaccines, the Japanese government has signed basic agreements to get vaccine supplies from U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and British drugmaker AstraZeneca PLC.

At a cabinet meeting on Sept. 8, the government decided to use reserve funds to secure coronavirus vaccines.

The government is now preparing systems necessary for providing COVID-19 vaccinations on the assumption that the vaccines may become available at the end of this year at the earliest, the sources said.

The government also plans to earmark additional funds in its draft budget for fiscal 2021, which starts in April next year, to secure more coronavirus vaccines. It will then consider whether to continue free vaccinations.

The government’s subcommittee on coronavirus countermeasures has indicated a policy of giving first priority for coronavirus vaccinations to medical workers, elderly people and those with underlying conditions.

The health ministry panel will discuss the range of elderly and other people to be given vaccination priority, planning to compile a specific immunization program in autumn this year.

On top of funds to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, the government plans to shoulder costs to be spent by local governments to provide vaccinations to their residents, the sources said.

JIJI Press