
TOKYO: The Japanese government Tuesday welcomed the reported early successes of coronavirus vaccines.
“There are a series of encouraging news about vaccines at a time when many people are pinning high hopes on their development,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference.
On Monday, US biopharmaceutical company Moderna Inc. said that its coronavirus vaccine showed a 94.5 percent efficacy, becoming the second firm to report encouraging trial results following Pfizer Inc.
Kato said that if Japanese regulators receive an application for vaccine approval, they will examine its efficacy and safety strictly.
The Japanese government is working to secure enough vaccines for all residents by the first half of next year, he said.
JIJI Press