TOKYO: Japan will reduce the minimum interval before third novel coronavirus vaccine shots for about 31 million people, in response to the spread of the new omicron variant of the virus, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio said Friday.

   The shorter interval before booster shots will mainly cover medical workers and elderly people, Kishida told reporters.

   Kishida said his government will launch comprehensive measures on prevention, testing and early treatment to deal with the emergence of the omicron variant.

   Japan will also start providing oral COVID-19 drugs at the end of the year, while strengthening its testing system during the year-end and New Year holiday period, when many parties are held.

   “The omicron strain is extremely infectious, and experts say it is inevitable that infections will spread around the world sooner or later,” Kishida said.

   “We will make the utmost effort to prevent the omicron variant from putting pressure on (Japan’s) medical care system,” he said, underling the importance of the latest coronavirus measures.

   Currently, Japan sets the minimum interval before booster shots at eight months after second doses in principle. The government plans to shorten the interval to six months for medical workers as well as residents and staff workers at elderly care facilities.

   Beginning in February, the government plans to shorten the interval to seven months for other elderly people.

   Japan has so far allowed the interval to be shortened to six months only if an infection cluster hits medical institutions or elderly care facilities.

   If US drugmaker Merck & Co.’s oral COVID-19 drug molnupiravir is approved for use in Japan, the government plans to start providing the drug to medical facilities by the end of this year. The government has agreed to get 1.6 million doses of the drug.

   The prime minister held telephone talks with Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla on Friday morning, reaching a basic agreement to secure two million doses of an oral antiviral drug against the coronavirus.

   In addition, the government will begin walk-in free tests by year-end across the country for people who cannot be vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Kishida.

JIJI Press