Health

Japan Mulls 4th Vaccine Shots For Elderly, Chronically Ill Patients

TOKYO, April 20 (Bernama) — Japan is considering making the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions eligible for fourth coronavirus vaccine shots, in line with recommendations by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, government sources said Tuesday.

The Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry will also consider whether to make medical staff eligible for the shots after some experts voiced support for the move, Kyodo news quoted the sources said.

The ministry will finalise the plan after hearing views from experts in a vaccine panel meeting slated for April 27, the sources said.

The move would mark a significant change in the way Japan has handled vaccinations for COVID-19, as the country has so far covered a wide range of age groups for inoculation.

Limiting the eligibility for the fourth shots stemmed from reports the effectiveness of such shots has been low in younger people and similar trends overseas where they have been mainly targeted toward the elderly, according to the sources.

The main purpose of vaccinations is to prevent the development of severe symptoms, for which third doses have shown to be effective in preventing in young people against the Omicron variant, according to the report.

However, the effectiveness of shots of U.S.-manufactured Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which are the two mainly used vaccine drugs in Japan, has been found to wane over time, prompting the health ministry to consider administering the fourth inoculations.

Sources: BERNAMA

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

Malaysia Faces Rising Dementia Care Burden as Families Struggle Alone

Malaysia Faces Rising Dementia Care Burden as Families Struggle Alone Malaysia’s rapidly aging population is… Read More

5 hours ago

From Oval Office to Silver Screen: Trump Cameo Legacy You Can Never Recreate

From Oval Office to Silver Screen: Trump Cameo Legacy You Can Never Recreate Imagine you… Read More

6 hours ago

Step In, Stand Out, Converse Introduces Malaysia’s All Star Class of 2026

Are you ready to meet your new classmates? Converse Malaysia will bring you into a… Read More

22 hours ago

IKEA Malaysia Crowns Three Ultimate Cook-Off Champions

The heat was on and creativity was unleashed. On 4 and 5 October 2025, over… Read More

23 hours ago

Maxim E-hailing Shares Free Car Seats for Best Drivers, Pioneering Child Passenger Safety in Kuala Terengganu

Maxim E-hailing Shares Free Car Seats for Best Drivers, Pioneering Child Passenger Safety in Kuala… Read More

23 hours ago

47th ASEAN Summit? Heart-Melting Moments, Laughter and Unity in Kuala Lumpur!

On October 26, Malaysia took the spotlight as the host of the 47th ASEAN Summit.… Read More

24 hours ago

This website uses cookies.