People age 65 or older to get vaccine priority in Japan

Tokyo, Dec. 25 (Jiji Press) – Japan’s health ministry said Friday that seniors age 65 and older will receive second priority for the vaccine against the novel coronavirus, after medical and other workers frequently ‘contact with people with diseases.

The third priority will be given to people with chronic respiratory diseases or underlying health ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

The ministry recommended the vaccination policy at a working group meeting of the Health Sciences Council. The plan was largely adopted.

The ministry plans to decide whether to grant control approval to the U.S. pharmaceutical giant COVID-19 vaccine by February next year.

According to a vaccination schedule shown by the ministry to local governments, the first priority for vaccination will be given to medical staff, ambulance teams and public health center officials, about four million people in total.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]