Tokyo, December 15: A panel of the Japanese Health Ministry on Wednesday approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as a booster on Wednesday, the media reported. Last month, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company managing the sales and distribution of the vaccine in Japan, applied for the approval to use the vaccine as a third shot six months after the previous vaccination, according to the Kyodo news agency.

Japan began its vaccination campaign later than some other countries, on February 17, but quickly sped up the pace. In the summer, up to a million people were vaccinated daily. Almost 98 million Japanese, or 77 per cent of the population, have taken two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine now. Omicron in Maharashtra: 4 New Cases of COVID-19 Variant in State, Tally Rises to 32.

The number of daily new infections has lately been mostly below 200. On October 1, Japan lifted the state of emergency across the country.

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